Cause It All Started
by Tenshi D. Alicia
Summary: It all started, with one woman, two girls, and an unavoidable truth: Darkness will never be black, and lightness will never be white. Not even if you control the powers of a god. T. Law x OC, OC x OC? Romance, Adventure, Friendship, Hurt, Comfort and just plain Love. Lots of different characters and pirate groups, not gonna list them all. Enjoy !
1. Cause it all started

**All right, here we go! First chapter of my first ever story, let's see what we get!  
>Disclaimer: Alicia doesn't own any characters or plots from One Piece, just her OC and her own story plot…. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz<strong>

**Yeah, I'm tired too. I'm gonna post this, then off to bed!**

**Which translates into reading all night…. **grins****

**'Cause it all started, for love, for family, for life,**

**'Cause it all ended, for money, for evil, for strife, **

**'Cause it all was put together, for kindness, for hope, for an unavoidable truth,**

**'Cause it all continued, for nakamas, for dreams, for passions,**

**Why do I, a simple girl, get to love such a man?**

**Why do I, nothing but a doll to peoples past, have such a savior? **

**Why do I feel like I could never dream of such a thing happening to one as me, a broken, empty shell?**

**"But all things wither, and all things die. **

**But all things grow, and all things fly," **

**For the life I couldn't have,**

**For the life I now possess, **

**I will tell the story, **

**Of a passion you won't forget. **

**_Tenryo D. Alicia_**

**_Tenshi D. Maria_**

**_Alice_**

**_Maria_**

**Chapter 1:**

**Words that ring through the world- A girl's battle to forget the past?**

**Somewhere on the Grand Line…**

**Crack! Crash!** _Whaa...?_  
><strong>FOOOOM<strong> _Ohh..._  
><strong>BANG! BANG!<strong> _That's right... I'm going to die..._

"Captain! Captain! We need to get out! Captain!"  
><em>Captain? A-a pirate? Pirates? Attacked by pirates? What a way to go...<em>

"Wait! There's someone there!" _No... Leave me here... I don't want to live... I don't deserve it..._

"Hang on! We're getting out of here!"  
><em>Wait? What? No! Leave me here! I want to die! I, I shouldn't be alive! I'm an abomination! An ugly, worthless piece of rotting flesh! I want to die! I want to die...!<em>

"Bepo, take her. She's badly injured- some of these wounds look infected and old!"  
><em>That's right, they are... The way they treated us was horrible... Inhumane... But I guess we aren't human, so we don't count... We're livestock to them…!<em>

"Everyone! Get off the ship before you get burned! We've got a critical patient! Get the operating theater ready, and Bepo, get her ready for surgery!"  
>"Yes captain!" She could feel herself being carried away. Soon, she felt someone pulling off the rags they gave them for clothes, slipping her into light fabric.<br>"Oh god, she's had a rough time of it." The voice said. It sounded strange.

She was carried again, and then laid down on something that was moving.  
><em>"No! No, please no more experiments!"<em> She heard herself, much younger, sobbing in fear, in pain, terrified of the wicked people in blue scrubs with doctors' masks. They held scalpels and lights over her face, plunging the knife straight between her eyes. It was a frequent nightmare from combined experiences.

"Does she need anesthesia captain?" She heard someone say.  
><em>No... no more... Please, let this just end! I just want to die!<em>  
>"No. She won't be able to complain, she'll be unconscious with just a small dose of sleep meds." She turned her head to the right, and saw the one who spoke. It was a guy, not the scientists. He caught her eye, and stared straight at her.<p>

"I'm not letting you die." He plunged a needle straight into her arm, and with her thoughts burning at that last remark, she drifted into sleep.

**Grand Line**

When she finally woke up, her head was burning. She tried to look around. She was in a room, alone. It had four beds lined up against one wall, with medical cabinets nailed down to the other wall. She was in the last bed from the door. She pulled back the sheets, and nearly cried. Her body was covered in burns, and series of cuts and bruises lacerated her arms. Her head was throbbing, and it hurt to move. But she had to get out of here. She ripped out the IV's in her arm, and unstrapped her legs from the bed.

She forced herself off the bed, and got a better look at the room. It was shaped like a T with the door at the bottom. Two medical examination tables were at the top of the T, near her, equipped with lights and rolling tables. A desk was in the right corner of the room, with small shelves and counters and a closet on the back wall. There were little curtains hanging at intervals between the beds. She limped to the nearest one, and peered out. There was nothing but blackness.

_Night…?_ She thought. She let the curtain fall back into place.

"You shouldn't be up." A voice said from behind her. She whirled around with a gasp, half in surprise, and half at the pain in her side. The person who had knocked her out? She looked at him closely now. He had on tight blue pants, covered with weird black spots at the ankles and half-way up to the knees, and a yellow hoodie with black sleeves and a weird smiley. He also had a weird mushroom hat on. She backed away slowly from the intruder.

"Get back into bed. You need to rest; you'll die if you start moving." She kept backing away from him. This was the man who had cut her open. She could see the stiches on her body from where he took out darts (and bullets) the soldiers and guards had shot her with for fun. He was getting mad.

"Get back into bed! You're wounds will re-open if you don't!" _What is she thinking? _ He thought angrily. He reached out and grabbed her, and she tried to jump backwards. But he held fast, and her knees gave out, letting her crash into him, shaking and shivering in fear.

"Hey…? Are you, okay?" He asked, trying to help her up. She gulped and pulled away, pressing her back against the second bed, simpering pitifully. He was a bit shocked, but his training as a doctor told him that as a sick, wounded individual, she should NOT be lying on a cold floor right now. He grabbed her hand, and pulled her up. She gasped, and hunched her shoulders forwards to try to stop him. But he had already swung her back into the bed, and threw the sheets up on top of her. She blinked in shock. Why wasn't he holding her down and knocking her out? Why wasn't he making her take injections and deal with experiments? Why wasn't he trying to hurt her?

"Get some rest. I'll send Bepo in later with some real food for you." He re-did her IV's, and left the room. She can't remember falling asleep, but when she did, she knows it was the only time she had felt, safe.

**All right, first chapter! Please review, even flames are welcome. I WONT UPDATE WITHOUT REVIEWS, and I'm telling you now I have the next chapter written, and the whole story plotted out. Until next time….**

**Jaa ne! ^w^**


	2. What's your name?

**Alright! Second chapter, and this is where it gets interesting. Who is this girl Law has found? Why was she in the middle of a fire? And where does she come from?**

**Be sure to find out, now read!**

**Disclaimer: Alicia, drop the salesperson act. **

**Shut it and do what I pay you for. **

**Disclaimer: I don't get paid. Tenshi D. Alicia does not own anything having to do with One Piece, it's characters, it's plots, blah blah blah...**

**Hey, do you want me to get arrested?! Do your job!**

**Disclaimer: Relax... Now go read before Alicia bonks me with her frying pan. **

**Chapter 2**

**Grand Line**

"Hey hey hey! She's waking up! Captain! She's waking up! She's waking up!" She opened one eye, only to shut it faster. A. TALKING. BEAR. _There is a huge talking bear in an orange jumpsuit near me!_ She thought, _and WHY does it talk!? WHY?! Oh please god, please, why is this happening to me…?!_

_You know, it's kinda cute…._

"Hey, are you awake?! She's awake! She's awake!" The bear was yelling (?) updates to the tall guy who had come in when the bear had started yelling. The guy just half-grinned this creepy smile, and nodded to the bear.

"Bepo." he said. "Aye captain!" The bear handed her a tray with something that smelled _really_ good. "Hungry?" he asked, and then grinned (can bears grin?) and seemed to be genuinely happy.

When she was finally in a sitting position, she managed to eat alone. It would have been fairly embarrassing for her to be fed, especially by a bear. For a second, she fantasized about the guy feeding her…. What was she thinking?! She looked at the food. It was soup with chunks of chicken and bread, but it was _really _good. It was the first good food she'd had for a long time.

"You like that, huh?" The bear said, "We don't always have the best food, but we've gotten better. Not to say we didn't have good food before too!" He looked at the tall guy with apprehension upon saying this.

"Mm." The man said, not bothering with changing his expression. He seemed to take this in stride, not letting his emotions betray him.

"Anyways, we don't have a cook, but our food is okay!" The bear turned back around to her.

"Oh, but sometimes Shachi will help out in the kitchen."

She wanted to talk, but, she couldn't. She hadn't spoken for a very long time, since a while after she was taken. And now, the bear and the guy seemed to notice.

"Hey, can you talk? Why aren't you talking?" The guy asked her. She tried to answer, but the words got stuck in her throat, and threatened to choke her if she didn't swallow them back. She let her hair fall in front of her face, hiding herself behind it.

"Well, even if you can, I doubt you would. It's obvious when I found you that you weren't valued." She shot him a look that said, No really? I was left for dead tied up in a room that was on a ship you were burning! They definitely cared if I died or not! "I guess you'll start talking soon enough."

"Here, I doubt you had a chance to see yourself, wherever you came from." He passed her a small mirror, plain steel. She brought it to her face, and nearly dropped it in surprise. The person who looked back at her, she couldn't possibly be her! She had thin, wispy silver hair, a fragile looking face with the palest skin, and the iciest blue eyes. She brought her hand to her lips, pale and glossy, with the subtlest hint of pinkness. She remembered herself having dark skin and wavy, curly hair, not this wispy silver and pale complexion!

Speaking of wispy, she realized what she was wearing. It was possibly the thinnest gown ever. Even the rags she had been forced to wear as a test subject were made of rough, thick cloth like wool. This was made of thin dark green cotton, but it felt like paper. It hugged her frame, and even though she wasn't that curvy, she certainly wasn't shapeless. She hugged her knees to her chest, and pulled the sheets up over her legs. The guy noticed this, and whispered something to the bear. He left briefly, and returned with a long off-white tunic top and half-length pant.

"You can use these for clothes," the bear said. "We don't have any clothes for girls, because this crew is made up of men…Ah! We don't even know your name! Oh but wait, you can't speak…"

She sat in silence. She still remembered a few things about her childhood- one of which wasn't what her name was. Her memories were the only thing that held her to this world, knowledge that she was somebody, that she had a family, a place to belong. She wanted to be called by only her real name, once she found out what it was. But the tall guy had other ideas.

"Well, if you don't have a name, then we'll give you one." He sat in thought for a moment. "How about Alice?" She nodded her head vigorously. She couldn't remember her own name, but Alice sounded familiar. Law looked at her in surprise. He thought that this girl might be of some use to him. But she was surprising him. She didn't even flinch at him when he came in, unlike when she had all but pushed him away last time he checked on her, and the when he suggested a name for her, her eyes were filled with fire.

"Alice, huh? Well, my name is Trafalgar Law. This is Bepo. Welcome to the Heart Pirates." Law said smoothly, hiding his annoyance and confusion.

And sitting in a hospital bed with a bear and a guy talking over her, without even realizing it, Alice became a pirate and handed her soul over to love.

**_Flashback_**

Law walked down to his infirmary. He wanted to check in badly on the mysterious girl he had found on the World Gov. ship. She had been on a lab vessel, perfect to raid for medical supplies. But he hadn't thought they'd have an honest to god test subject with them.

When he had found her, she had been bound in chains and strapped to a medical examination table. Her eyes had been lifeless, and she looked broken. Now, Law generally wouldn't give a shit about this kind of thing, but this particular girl said something that intrigued him. She said a word, "Joker".

This girl had some sort of knowledge, and Law decided that he'd get that knowledge from her; even if he had this information already, or otherwise.

But when he took her in his arms, he saw something. A small house in a field, surrounded by flowers. A small girl, holding hands with a young woman. A fire, two hands reaching for each other, being pulled away from each other. Aimlessly wandering, through trees and trash alike, hiding from monsters, killing for food. Three faces, bringing joy and sunshine after gray lifelessness. Being ripped apart from them, being burned, burned, burned. Burning, but not hurting. Not feeling the scalding white-hot flame against her back. Then crying. Crying. Crying.

Law thought that this girl had been part of Joker's plots. He had heard a rumor about it, but he had paid it no attention. Now, he bitterly regretted it, regretted not taking in information. But she could be of use to him, he decided, and so she was a commodity.

But still, if this girl was who he thought he was, then she was the sole possessor of a fake devil fruit, the exact thing that Joker was trying to produce. Of course, Law knew better than to let her use her real name. That would alert Joker to her presence. No, for now, she was Alice, a girl that was kidnapped as a child and sold to human-experimenters.

And yet strangely, Law felt a certain, pull, to this girl. She was weak, vulnerable, but possessed a certain fire to her. _She was strong once before. _Law realized. _And I will aim to make her strong again._

**Yay! Second Chapter is done!**

**Disclaimer: Thank god...**

**Disclaimer: Wait, we didn't learn anything about Alice! All we got was some made up name and what she looks like!**

**Ta~!**

**Disclaimer: Wait! ALICIA!**

**Jaa ne! ^w^**


	3. A drabble just for you

**Yosh~! REALLY short chapter- just sort of a drabble I've done. Nothing special, just a little something for you guys to look at and go, "WHF why do I bother?!"**

**I will tell you now, it is because...!**

**Disclaimer: **butts in** Because Tenshi D. Alicia does not own One Piece! **

**Me: Hey!**

**Disclaimer: **raises eyebrow** Don't cross me hun'. **

**Disclaimer: ON WITH LE FIC!**

**Me: yeah, yeah...**

**Chapter 3**

**The ones who couldn't die- tales of the world escaped and the world denied**

**A place somewhere far away….**

_Mom…! Mom…! I found something pretty! _

I remember it clear as day in dreams…

_Oh, how pretty! Your father will be very happy!_

But they flee so fast when I wake, I never can recall them…

_I'm sure he'll love it, why don't you take it to him now?_

The life of those called "privileged"…

_Hee hee! I hope he likes it!_

But who are kept as prisoners, used as shields…

_Mommy! Mommy! _

_No! Ma-!_

_…_

_Oh, what a fine specimen! Daddy, can I have her? She's an awfully wonderful one!_

Those who are called "dragons", they deserve to be called so. Their talons tear the sky, and reach down from the gravely misnamed "heavens" of hellish cliffs and skies to mark their prey with their sacred "claw", burning onto the flesh in their backs. They make their slaves dance to their deaths, lining their homeland with the dead bodies of those unfortunate enough to be ensnared by them.

_Okaa-san…. Okaa-san… _

_Heyyy, little girl! Get moving! You're taking too long! Take that! And that!_

The days that passed…. The days that dragged…. The days that never stopped…

_So, this is the lot of them? Thank you very much for doing business with us my lord! We deeply appreciate it!_

_Of course- if this pays off, it will bring in millions!_

_…_

_No! Please no! Mommy! Mommy! I want mommy!_

_Shut up girl! You shouldn't be allowed to live! You're lucky that you were picked for such a grand experiment such as this! Shut up girl, shut up!_

_No! Mommy! Let me go! I want Mommy! NO!_

…

I remember. I lived there. The city of angels. The pits of hell. The homes of those who burn their prisoners, the land of all things sacred.

It is my namesake.

Mariejois.

**Soo! EXTREMELY. SHORT. Can this really be called a chapter?! Yes it can :P So then, as always, REVIEW! I think I might start shout-outs and the like- maybe. I just wanna thank everyone who's read this!**

**If you have read this and haven't reviewed, let your pitiful soul burn in hell. :P**

**As always, Jaa ne! ^w^**


	4. Hallways, scares, and memories?

**Yay! A bit fo a longer chapter for you, (But not much)**

**Shout outs to some people!**

**NightHunterDeath: All will be revealed in time ;D**

**10th Squad 3rd Seat: I know... it was waaaay too short. But, that's the way it is :P**

**Disclaimer: Alicia does not own One Piece!**

**Chapter 4**

**Grand Line**

It has been a month since Alice first joined with Law. It's a long story, but now she's travelling with them. The first weeks were tough- She couldn't speak, she couldn't walk, it was like a nightmare. She was lucky that Law took such good care of her. He stayed with her a lot, and when he didn't stay with her, she followed him around. She grew fond of him and Bepo. (Of course, without Alice knowing, Law was trying to figure her out. He would try to find something different about her, but other than the fact that she seemed completely hollow inside, he found nothing remarkable. His irritation at not being able to read her grew. Not that he ever showed it.)

Bepo was really nice. He was her "nurse" as Law put it, since there aren't any girls in Law's crew. Bepo was really patient with Alice. He always finds a way to cheer her up, and kicks any guys who try to harass her. It's almost funny, if it weren't so scary for her. She hates men. But Bepo's a bear, so he doesn't count.

Law's crew is made up entirely of men, and they all jump at the chance of seeing a woman. But men, well… they terrify Alice. She doesn't know any men other than the people who enslaved and tortured her. So when all the men in Law's crew look at Alice, she's petrified. Law noticed this. He wondered why she was hesitant to leave her room. Now he knows why. But he takes barely used paths in the ship to humor her.

The ship is very strange for a pirate ship. Alice asked Law once why it was always dark outside. He told her it was because at the moment they were travelling underwater. Of course, she panicked when she heard _that_ bit of news, but it was because he conveniently left out that the ship was a submarine.

Law doesn't have a lot of things to do onboard for a captain. But he seriously needs to get himself a good cook. Shachi is good at cooking, but he's no chef. He and the rest of the crew make a funny bunch. She doesn't know everybody's names, but Law says he's going to introduce her to everyone. Alice was walking in the halls once, trying to find Law while not being seen by the crew.

Two guys in the standard white/beige suits with tall black boots that most of the crew wore approached her. They were Shachi and Penguin, two crewmates that Law seemed to trust. Alice didn't. She didn't trust any man. Shachi had a large green cap with a red rim, and Penguin had a black, white, and red cap with the word Penguin written across the front.

"It's very nice to meet you, Alice-chan! We've heard a lot about you!" Shachi said. Alice smiled nervously, and tried to get around him. "Where are you going so soon Alice? Stay a while, won't you?" She tried to hide, peeking out from hunched shoulders. It helped that she was small in general. Shachi looked at her with an expression of loss, and Penguin with one of victory.

"Alice-tan, I would like to personally welcome you to the crew!" Penguin said, sweeping one arm in front of him and bowing to her in a grand gesture. She pulled her arms in even closer to her chest, tightening her shoulders, staring at him, scared. More of the crew had appeared, and now they were laughing at Shachi and Penguin, while others were trying to flatter her with kind words and sweet promises of devotion to their "Angel from the flames". She pulled into herself. _Where is Law? Where's Bepo?! Why isn't someone helping me?!_ She thought madly. She was now surrounded by men, all laughing and hollering at failed attempts to "coax the little pearl from the oyster", whatever an oyster was. They were like wolves attracted to a steak.

BAM. Bepo came out of nowhere, sending flurries of kicks straight at her attackers. "Leave poor Alice alone!" He said feverantly, "You're terrifying her!" She scurried behind Bepo, pressing herself into him, tears at the corners of her eyes. The crew looked aghast, not sure what had gone wrong.

DAM. Law came from the corridor, each footstep echoing through the halls like thunder. "Don't you have something else to be doing besides terrorizing my patient…?" He said, shooting a look of pure evil at his crew, a dark aura coming from him. His crew squealed and ran off, yelling something like an apology.

"Sigh… I'm sorry Miss Alice. Those fools were giving you a hard time." Law spoke down to her, and put his arm around her shoulder. He led her away from the corridor with a strong arm, Bepo following close behind. They went to Law's quarters. The room was notoriously tidy. Law had no more than he needed: a desk, a bed, and some bookshelves. The bookshelves were only partially filled, because they were law's fiction books. Anything that Law deemed informative, he kept in his office. Those bookshelves were bursting at the seams. A quill-pen and a pot of ink sat on his desk, along with some charts and maps. A single porthole was set in the wall. Law brought Alice to the queen sized bed, where he sat her down.

"I've told you before, don't go anywhere in the ship without someone else around if you don't want to have to deal with the crew. If you don't, things like that could happen again- or worse. I can protect you from their teasing, but that won't stop them from trying other things." Law was dead serious, and looked Alice straight in the eye. She was startled. Law had never sounded so serious with her. He sounded like an older brother scolding his little sister. She nodded, trying to smile reassuringly. He breathed, letting out a breath he hadn't even realized he was holding.

"Yeah Alice! Don't wander around, or else you'll be attacked!" Bepo said, chastising her.

"Miss Alice, will you tell me where you came from?" He asked her. He would ask her this a lot, and each time she would try to answer him. But the words never came. She could never tell him her story; never share with him her pain.

Alice shook her head. She wanted so bad to tall him of her pain, to let the words flow like water from her mouth. She wanted to so badly, but the words got suck like glue in her throat. They took hold in her, clinging like a stubborn child. Her breath came short and she started to make strange sounds from her throat. Bepo slapped her on the back, and she gasped for breath, panting.

_Why….? Why….?! Why can't I speak?! _Alice thought furiously. She was sick of that gutless feeling, and the look on Law's face every time she failed to tell him anything. Like he was

Law was nearly fed up with this girl's games. He was tired of playing nice guy and waiting for her to open up- he wanted his answers _now_.

"Miss Alice, I would like to know why you refuse to answer me. It is getting old, frankly." His voice was cold. Alice flinched.

Suddenly, Alice got an idea. She ran over to the stack of paper on Law's desk, grabbed the pen, and started writing furiously. _Hello._ She wrote in convoluted scrawl. Law got up and peered down at the word.

"So you can write?" He asked her without looking at her. She nodded vigorously.

"Then you can answer my question. Where did you come from?"

Alice took a deep breath, and with shaking hands, she fluidly printed her answer.

_I spent six years in captivity. Six years of pain, of torture, of being told I was a freak, a monster that I didn't deserve to live. I lived through trauma after trauma, sacrifice after sacrifice. I was one of many kidnapped children, and we slowly dwindled in numbers, until only I remained._

_ I cried myself to sleep at night, thinking that I would suffer the same fate. I would not see tomorrow's sunlight. I would never know happiness again. I would die, cold and alone, in this dusty crypt of broken lives, like all the others who had come before me._

_How many would die before they were appeased? How much longer could they hold me here, bound, ensnared by a web so intricately entangled, it would never unravel. How much more could they tighten my restraints, till my wrists bled and my limbs were being ripped from my body. How long could the chains hold me there, suspended in hell, until they finally snapped, letting me drop deep, deep into the flames of hell._

_How long until fire seared my skin off, until flames smelt my bones, until an inferno finally cast my soul to pieces, spreading them across the sky like fiery falling stars? How long until I could vanish into flame and fire, so my life could finally burn brightly one last time?_

_I thought my day of reckoning would never come. On a ship bound for Mariejois, I lay shivering at the thought of being back in his hands again. I thought that I had escaped him, but I knew better once I was put on that boat. When oh when would peace finally hold me?_

_It came none too soon. When I awoke that night on the boat, I wanted to cry with relief. I could finally leave this world. The chains of defeat had snapped, sending me falling to the flames of hell, to be burned like the mighty phoenix in the golden black flames of nothingness. I was going to finally depart this world in a burning blaze of glory, and I wouldn't look back._

_Then you caught me._

_Trafalgar Law. You pulled me from my pyre, from the fires of hell and into existence, continuance. You helped me to see that not everything is black or white, that you can live on if you can find the one's you have shared your life with before._

_I will find them. The one's that came before you, Law, who also pulled me from despair. The ones who taught me to fight, who saved my life when I was on the verge of death._

_My brothers, Ace, Sabo, and Luffy._

At this last sentence, Alice fell asleep. But not before uttering a single, beautiful noise.

"Law…"

_Law's P.O.V_

Law was feeling… guilty. It was never an emotion he had entertained before. He had never known guilt. He was a pirate- guilt was suicide. So why did his insides twist upon reading the words of that girl, upon hearing his praises sung by this naïve child? Why did he feel such, anger at himself?

Alice painted him as a god. He was her savior, her hero. And he should have been _using_ that to his advantage, but _noo_, he has to go and get all mushy and feel guilty! Truly foolish.

She looks at him with such wonder, with such admiration and reverence, it was like he could fly or something. Her innocent blue eyes would trail him, and she would smile every time she saw him. Alice truly, truly adored him.

Yet Law couldn't bring himself to use that.

He couldn't bring himself to correct Alice, to show this little girl what he was. He was too afraid of her losing that light in her eyes. Nobody had every smiled at him like that before, nobody had ever loved him unconditionally, without asking him questions and making assumptions.

He couldn't lose that. Not yet. It was like a drug that he hadn't been aware he was on. Now, he couldn't stop no matter what he tried.

He carried the sleeping girl back to the infirmary. His last thoughts before leaving the room were _I should really see to getting her a cabin…_

**As always, reviews, and Jaa ne! ^w^**


	5. The first day- What's in the box?

**Hello everybody! Sorry for not updating sooner- I've been busy with midterms and auditions and projects and blah :P So I haven't had time to write! **

**Here's a new chapter- Take it away Disclaimer!**

**Disclaimer: But I'm lazy...**

**Me: OI!**

**Disclaimer: . **

**Me:...**

**Me: ON WITH LE FIC!**

**Chapter 5**

**Grand Line**

When Alice woke, she found herself back in the infirmary. _Law… thanks. _She thought to herself. She made a resolution. _I am going to not be afraid of men anymore. _She thought. She got up and went to the kitchen. Bepo, Penguin, and Shachi were trying to cook something.

The men and bear turned around upon her arrival. Her stomach was fluttering, and she was blushing furiously. Of course, to Shachi, Penguin and Bepo, she was adorable. _Kawaii…._ They thought, blushing. They knew better than to try telling her this. The last thing they needed was Law's wrath. He had made it very clear that Alice was to be treated with kindness and caution.

"She hates men," he had told Shachi, Penguin and Bepo. He gave them the task of being Alice's 'protectors'. "A girl like Alice shouldn't be walking around a ship full of men alone. She's vulnerable." (Of course, he only included Shachi and Penguin after they groveled and begged and apologized a million times for what they had done, and that they had only wanted to introduce themselves to Alice, to make friends.) "Make sure that she doesn't get into trouble."

"Hey Alice" Bepo said warmly. He was kind with her, taking an instant liking to the quiet little girl. She was small and lithe, and when she walked, she was so graceful it was like she was dancing. _Too bad she's a human…_

She pointed at the "food" the men were making. "You wanna help make breakfast?" Shachi said his eyes wide. She nodded. . She breathed a sigh of relief. Round one over. _Fight Alice-chan! _Went mental Shachi and Penguin. Bepo sighed at the sight of the two men fist pumping with flaming moe eyes.

"We would love your help Alice!" Shachi and Penguin showered her with grace, until Alice blushed a deep scarlet color.

Alice started with cleaning. The kitchen was in disrepair. Dirty pots and pans littered the counters, and the stove was caked in grease and food residue. The oven looked like one too many things had exploded in it, and anything that might have been usable as a kitchen tool was caked in dirt and other unknown substances. Once she had cleared the mess away, she started in on the cooking. Until she realized that, they had no food that was edible.

_Wonderful…_ She thought exasperatedly to herself. _I might have been able to make something, but all I have here is moldy cheese, stale bread, some dry preserves, and water!_ She thought about it for a long time, wondering how she could make anything from this meager larder the Heart Pirates had. _Jeez, do they live off fish?! _ She thought loudly.

_Fish… _

She quickly unwrapped some of the preserves. Inside, she found some dry salted fish. She grinned, saved.

_Alright. I can work with this._ She thought, and started to work. Shachi commented sometimes, asking her what she was doing. Alice tried to reply the best she could, once even smiling. Soon, she finished, presenting fish cooked in oil with salt and butter, toasted bread with berry preserve, a bean paste that she had boiled in water to turn into tea, and melted cheese with crackers for dipping.

She grinned, her clothes having taken quite a beating from the mess. She looked so young, like a child that had accomplished something and was expecting praise. It came to her in heaps, from Shachi and Penguin and Bepo, and from the other crewmembers that had entered smelling something delicious afoot. She laughed and blushed, smiling so wide that she looked like a different person.

She looked truly happy.

Law of course, watched all of this from the shadows. His hat shadowed his face, but he was torn inside. He so badly wanted to go into the kitchen, to watch her smile, to smile with her, to see her smile for _him_. He didn't understand why he felt that way, let alone why he simply couldn't enter the kitchen, even thought it was _his _ship.

He turned away brusquely, walking away quickly. Obviously, he could put the girl to use as a cook, but he would make Shachi supervise her. He didn't want a single scratch on the girl- She was valuable to him now. He had saved her, and he didn't just save anyone.

Something caught his sleeve. He turned to brush it away, but _she _stood there, staring at him with pitiful puppy eyes. She still wore her apron, covered with mess from the kitchen, and had a bit of berry preserve on her cheek.

She stared at him with big, shining eyes. She pulled out a pad of paper and a small pen, and quickly wrote a question. _You wouldn't happen to have any musical instruments, would you?_

She wanted to know if there were any musical instruments. Aboard his ship. The ship of a cruel, heartless man who showed no mercy to anyone, and she wanted to know if he had some _musical instruments _just _lying around_ somewhere.

"I don't know. Ask Bepo, he does all the storage stuff." He said callously. _Damn!_ He went in his head. _Why was I so, so rude?! _He ran off, leaving Alice with her hand outstretched, confusion dominant of her face.

Alice walked back into the kitchen, the drunken happiness of accomplishment sobered. She tugged the bear's sleeve like a child.

"Hmm?" He said. "What is it Alice-chan?" He looked down at her. _Kawaii…. _He thought.

_Would you know if there were any musical instruments on board?_ She wrote quickly.

_Musical instruments…? _"I'm not sure, but I could check." He said. He walked out, Alice trailing him like a little lost puppy. He walked down the stairs, to the very bottom of the ship where the storage was. He opened the door and flicked on the lights.

"Well, let's look around." They stared in on the boxes and crates. Most of what they found was food, oil and things for the ships maintenance, or medical supplies. There were a lot of medical supplies.

Finally, Alice came upon an old crate made of sandalwood. She pried off the top, and lo and behold, a single velvet case peeked out at her. She ripped off the lid, and pulled out the case. It was shiny black velvet, with double silver clasps and a handle made of shiny black plastic. She snapped back the clasps and opened it, Bepo staring down from above her shoulder.

_ Oh wow… _Alice thought. It was beautiful violin. The beautiful rosewood, the shimmering pine of the belly, the golden scroll at the top. It was a truly gorgeous violin. But it was in terrible shape. Its strings were dry and frayed, and the G string was missing completely. But she could take care of that later. There was a bow in the case too, a can of lubricant, and a tuning fork.

_Bepo, do you think I could have this?_ She barely could contain her excitement, and her hands shook when she wrote. _It's so beautiful…. What a masterpiece…_ Bepo nodded, the girl was nearly transfixed with this violin! Her eyes shone with wonder and beauty, she looked like it was made of pure gold or something!

_I'll have to replace the G string…. _She thought. _And I'll have to get extra strings too…._ She kept making plans, running her fingers over the instrument. Finally, she put it back in the case and grasped it by the handle. They put the storage back in order, and left.

Law was in his room, lying back on his bed. "Captain!" Shachi burst into his room. "We're nearing an island sir. We're going to surface soon." Law nodded at Shachi, and he left.

_What an idiot I am… _Law thought. He thought that Alice was so… cute… sometimes…. _Gaah! _ He thought. _What am I thinking?! I'm a merciless pirate! _He got up and paced a bit. Law realized something though.

He knew nothing about Alice. He didn't know her real name, her age, her family, her birthplace. He didn't know anything. _I should probably confront her about it… _ He decided that's what he'd do. He got up in search of Alice, prowling the halls for her. When he didn't find her in her room or the kitchen, he decided to look up on deck. He hadn't even opened the door when he heard something, beautiful.

It was like the calls of the sirens, beautiful mermaids that lured men to their deaths on the seas. It was so sweet and gentle, yet heartbreakingly sad. It yearned and cried, turning wails into sweet music.

It was gorgeous.

And it was coming from Alice.

The music floated down from the second deck railing. There, perched on the metal bars, was Alice. Her eyes were closed, and she was trying to concentrate, but it was hard to even play good music with a string missing, let alone a song. Law lost himself in her sounds, simply standing on deck, listening to her play.

She looked up suddenly, surprised, breaking off from the music. Law frowned. He wanted to hear more of that beautiful melody. She grinned down at him and beckoned him up. He vaulted up and over the railing, sailing past her head. She yelped in surprise, and nearly fell over the rail, but two strong hands came around the shoulders and locked in front of her chest.

"And just where do you think you're going…?" Law murmured into her ear. He swung her up and over the railing and onto the deck. Alice blushed profusely, muttering thanks to her savior.

"I was wondering Alice…" Law said, suddenly businesslike. "How old are you?" She looked up in surprise, a faint blush still dusting her cheeks rose petal pink.

Alice held up ten fingers, then eight more, suddenly becoming very interested in her feet. She could feel her cheeks heating up at the imposing explanation. _Eighteen_? Law thought to himself. _Impossible! She's looks only ten at least! _

"Are you sure…?" He said hesitantly. She looked at him timidly.

_Well, yeah,_ she wrote. _I spent eight years growing up with my mom, four years with Ace, Sabo and Luffy, six months….., and six years…. You know what._ She turned away, leaving out details that Law would press her for later.

"Alice, you're only about four foot three. You cannot be eighteen, it's impossible."

She looked down hesitantly, averting her eyes from his face.

"Alice. Tell me now." Law said firmly. She cracked under his imposing glare.

_Well, you see…. I think that as an aftereffect of all the… testing._ She wrote that last word with pain. _I think I stopped growing._ She looked up at Law, her eyes wide and childish.

Law had to mentally beat himself. This girl, so innocent and young, had no experience what so-ever with life. She had never been robbed, never had to work for a living. "That's quite possible." He said. "Come inside and eat. We'll talk more about it later."

Law led her down into the ship, past the infirmary and captains quarters to the galley. The men were digging into the food with zeal, going at it like rabid dogs. He pulled Alice along with him, until he reached the head of the table in the galley. He sat down, and one of his men pulled up a chair for Alice. She nodded her thanks, blushing pink a bit.

"Everyone, this is Alice. Formally." Law said smoothly. People nodded and smiled, while others tried to hide their red faces. At least they had the grace to blush. "She is to be treated with respect and courtesy. She will help out in the kitchen, but as she is still recovering, won't be our cook." Alice looked at him with the expression of a child who wants to go out and play even if they're sick in bed, while his men looked at him with despair and groans in their mouths. Her cooking was so good!

"Alice, meet Crilik. Crilik is our navigator." A man on Alice's right side nodded politely. Crilik was a tall man with a nearly shaved head, slanted eyes, and black stubble on his face. He made quite a picture, sitting squished in at the table there. "And of course, you already know Shachi, Penguin and Bepo." The two mechanics were piled atop one another grinning like idiots, with Bepo sitting in the background, a fuzzy mountain of blank expression. She nodded and softly murmured noiselessly in a greeting.

The dominant thought in the room: _Kawaii…_

"I need coffee." Law said. The Heart Pirates parted in a straight shot to the kitchen door. He walked briskly down the makeshift aisle, and returned less than a minute later. This daily routine was nicknamed by half the crew, "Fleeing the Enemy".

He sat back down at the table, and sipped his coffee. He smiled at slightly bitter taste. He loved coffee. He saw Shachi and Penguin going around the room. Further investigation showed a betting pool on whoever Alice would open up to first. The most bids were on Law or Bepo, fewest on Shachi and Penguin. He chuckled.

"Why are my human friends idiots?" Law asked Bepo. Shachi and Penguin, the two in question, looked offended by the question. Bepo looked up from his fish.

"Because … they grew up with you?" Law nearly choked on his coffee, but Shachi and Penguin doubled over laughing. Half of the men in the room were trying to smother laughs and snickers.

"S-sorry captain… it's just…! Aha, 'they grew up with you', priceless!"

"Ha! Because we grew up around him, we're idiots? Yeah, considering that you would beat on anyone you thought was smarter than you, I guess that's right! HA!"

Law growled. It was true that he was fiercely competitive towards anyone he saw as a threat to his intellect, so what Bepo said was plausible. But seriously, he didn't need to go _advertising_ it.

One of his subordinates served Alice, and she nodded her head in thanks. To most people, she was smiling and adorable. To Law, she was sweating and relieved when he was gone.

Breakfast was eaten with the normal banter, none of which Alice partook in. She picked at her food, but a death glare from Law fixed that. She ate all her food.

After the meal, she fled the galley. Law loped after her, watching her smoothly from the shadows. He quietly pursued her, scrutinizing every step, every movement through the halls, head bowed, arms swinging.

She emerged onto the deck, and as soon as the sun hit her face, she turned into another being altogether. Her face seemed to shine under the sun, her hair twisting and dancing in the wind, sparkling like ivory. Her long alabaster hair, her closed eyelids that concealed pearly blue ice. And her pallid skin, sallow and chalky under the glare of fluorescents now glowed in the sunshine.

She glided up the winding staircase to the second level, and ran to the wall, out of Law's vision. When she returned to sit upon the railing, she had in hand the violin and bow once more. She brought the instrument to her neck, and once again that gorgeous, supple music wafted throughout the air, flowing around the ship in a cocoon of wonder.

**Jajajaja! Oh and happy Valentines- FOREVER ALONE! :D**

**Until next time, Jaa ne! ^w^**


	6. She can talk!

YEAAAAAH! I"M FINALLY BACK! Sorry I was gone for so long. I had a lot of things going on, school, life, and family, as well as... TESTING. I hate standardized TESTS!

Disclaimer: Alicia does not own anything she doesn't not own, which is not a lot.

Aha. Right.

Disclaimer: Please excuse my emplorer for her lazy attitude with stories and her annoying tendency to start a story and then drop it like a hot potato.

HEY!

Disclaimer: As well as-

Okay, that's enough! Onto the chapter! *strangles Disclaimer**

**Grand Line**

Of course, that cocoon of pleasurable music kept them from seeing the approaching fleet of warships. Marine Warships.

Alice was the one to spot them first, but they were already in close range. _Law!_ She internally screamed, standing up abruptly on the railing, then nearly falling over the side of the ship. Law looked up to see what was going on when he heard the music squawk out of existence: of course, he looked up just in time to see Commodore "White-Chase" Smoker jump onto his ships' deck and try to flatten him with his jitte.

"Smoker. What an _unpleasant_ surprise."

"Hello to you too, Trafalgar Law." He growled.

Alice had both hands on the railing, her mouth hanging open in her attempt to scream. _Law! Law! LAW!_ She cried, her hands curling around the metal bars. She wanted so badly just to _help him_ somehow. She flew down the stairs at top speed, only to almost collide with a Marine.

"I'm sorry, but I can't let you pass." It was a woman, with black hair, dark brown eyes, and red glasses. She wielded a sword, and held it confidently near her tank top in a comfortable position. Alice growled under her breath, and swore viciously in her head. The crew had arrived on deck, and they were currently engaging the enemy.

"You don't seem to be with these pirates. You're wearing simple clothes with no designs or symbols- you certainly aren't a pirate." Alice's fists curled, and she gritted her teeth. The woman looked closely at her clothes. "You're wearing… a hospital gown? Are you a _patient_?" She seemed incredulous, like she couldn't believe _pirates_ could take in a stray girl and take care of her.

Alice looked around her. Bepo, Shachi and Penguin were close, sending Marines flying with karate kicks. She tried running around the woman, but she blocked her from all angles, continuing to talk.

"Look, why are you here? A little girl held captive on a pirate ship? Honestly, I shouldn't be surprised, but really. I thought that even pirates had standards. What value could you hold for Trafalgar Law?" Alice wondered about that for a second, before reminding herself to be furious. She panted, and the woman stopped short in front of her, lowering her sword.

"Look here, my name is Tashigi and I work under Commodore Smoker. Why don't you tell me your name, little girl? I'm sure that the commodore wouldn't mind helping you- he looks scary but he's really a decent man. I'm sure that we could help you find your family and your home island. We're the Marines! We can save you from these pirates!" Alice looked down at her feet, her eyes shadowed by her long bangs.

"Listen, we're all very strong here. We can help you _escape. _We can get you home, find your mommy and daddy. Don't you want to see them? And your friends too? The World Government is huge! Finding the home of a single girl would be a sna-" At this, Alice cut her off. How did she do that?

By _laughing_.

Alice giggled. Then chuckled. Then shrieked. Then convulsed in laughter, holding her sides as if to keep them from splitting. The entire crew watched her, some of their jaws slack, some openly staring. Alice wiped away a tear, her laughs tittering out of existence.

"Freedom…..? A home….? A family…..?" She dragged the "I"s, giving her words a mad quality. She breathed a final laugh before her entire demeanor changed, going from side-splitting cackles to absolute fury.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" She screeched, her face contorted into an expression of anguish and pain. "FAMILY, FRIENDS, THEY'RE ALL OUT OF MY REACH!"

"I DON'T KNOW WHO I AM, MUCH LESS WHO I LOVED! I CAN'T REMEMBER FOR THE LIFE OF ME! NOTHING, NOTHING, NO ONE!"

"YOU SAY THAT YOU CAN MAKE ME _HAPPY_?!" Alice was senseless, grabbing the front of Tashigi's jacket and pulling her close to herself, screaming her next words straight into Tashigi's face. "_BUT I'M THE ONE LIVING THROUGH THE HELL YOU MADE!"_

Tashigi's mind went blank. This girl, this _child_, has the look of a madman. She has the eyes of someone who has seen death and destruction, who has had experiences out of her time. "Who are you…?" She said to no one, just to an empty shell of a person once alive.

The ones to recover first were Smoker and Law. It wasn't looking good for the Dark Doctor. Smoker had the element of surprise, and Law's mind had been clouded by Alice's violin when he attacked. Bepo had tossed him his nodachi, so he wasn't helpless, but the commodore still had the upper hand.

_Damn. _Law thought. _If only I could distract him for a second so I could get in close…._

Alice snapped out of her trance-like state. _H-Huh? What? HUH!? _

_"I can talk…!?" _She said quietly. Her words were whispered hoarsely under her breath. She grinned to herself, and whirled around to tell Law.

The scene that greeted her made any joyful shouts she may have had die in her throat. Law and Smoker were battling, but Smoker had a clear advantage and Law had to stop every ten seconds to deflect cannonballs from the warships.

Smoker raised his jitte over Law's head, coming down from above. Alice's eyes widened, and she pounded across the deck, her feet flying over metal and wood.

"LAW!" She screamed, throwing herself at him, knocking him over. She felt a strange sense rush through her body, coming from her sternum to course through to the tips of her hands and feet. It pushed outwards, bubbling power radiating off of her. She felt it rush to the water. It drew back at the waves, almost disgusted, but rushed into the white lather that sat atop them.

_Sea-foam._ Alice thought. _Protect me._

Without even meaning to, Alice lifted the white froth from the seabed, and swirled it around her like a thick, white snake. It spread, slowly going from a snake to a surface, then to a full dome around her and Law, still pinned under the tiny girl's body.

_Thank you. _She thought to it. _Thank you. _

_Protect what's ours. Protect what's yours. _She heard, a tripled, raspy voice coming into her thoughts. _We will help you. Do you accept us?_

_Yes. _She thought, not even hesitating. _Yes. Help me. Help me save him._

A rush of tremendous power surged through the entire area, coming from Alice. Wind seemed to rush from her feet, throwing back her hair as her head turned to the sky. A small gasp of surprise, and peaceful expression settled on her face, before her eyes flashed open in a burst of light. Her eyes, already piercing blue, now glowed with breathtaking power. Her hair whipped out from her head, a halo of alabaster silk, and her eyes were blue ice against her milky complexion. Her perfectly shaped eyes, her slight and serious expression, and her flowing crown of hair- She looked like an angel.

Smoker stood stock still, his jaw clenched. Tashigi was less composed: Her jaw hung slack, and her sword-tip dragged on the ground. Law noticed this, disgusted. He was no professional swordsman, but he had some pride in his abilities with his nodachi.

The commodore was raging, Tashigi could tell. Even though to most people he looked calm, Tashigi knew the signs of stress. Clenched hands, pulsing veins, they were all there. A sea of turmoil was inside his skull right now.

Smoker was coming up with an attack plan. His head was exploding with questions, but he silenced them like he would his crew when they got too loud.

"Tashigi!" He barked.

"Y-yes!" She squealed, pushing her glasses up her nose.

"We take them together- watch the girl." He was short and business-like. He was impatient for the fight to start and end. He wanted to go after Strawhat, but the Heart Pirates were asking for it, just sitting there out in the open ocean.

Law's eyes narrowed. "Alice!" he said. The goddess-like girl turned to look at him. "They're going to come at us together. Watch your back, and stay close to me." Alice nodded and stared straight ahead at them, passing a cool gaze over them.

Smoker made the first move. He dashed forwards with his jitte, and thrust it sideways towards Alice. She avoided him easily, then released a small ball of white energy. It connected with Smoker and threw him backwards. He collided with the railing, but he felt no singe or burn. His skin wasn't even marked.

_What the hell…?_ He though. He stood back up, eying Alice warily _Who is she? She doesn't harm me with her attacks? How does she think she can fight if she doesn't injure her opponent!?_ He got his answer soon enough. When he stood up, his chest felt like lead, and it was hard to move. _So if it hits, it saps your energy._ "Tashigi! If it hits you, it drains your energy!" He yelled. The woman nodded viciously, and charged Law recklessly.

"Haaaaah!" She yelled. Law sidestepped her attack, and unsheathed his nodachi.

"ROOM." He said. A blue dome appeared over their heads. _Shit! _Thought Smoker.

"TASHIGI!" He screamed. But it was too late. His subordinate's torso was separated from her legs, and she had a look of utter surprise on her face.

"Damn you Trafalgar!" She snarled.

Law smiled mockingly. "Alice!" He said. The girl turned to him. "Show me what you've got." Was all he said before vaulting over the rail to the second deck.

She grinned manically. "My pleasure." She rushed towards Smoker, and shot out a long tendril of power. Smoker blocked it, and parried with his jitte's tip. She frowned, and released the tentacle, letting it dissolve into dust.

"Two can play at that game, Smoker." She said. She summoned her power, letting it disperse in waves. She pushed to the deck, to the railing, to the sea. It felt the waves, the salt, and the seawater. She frowned, disgusted. _Higher, _she thought. _The waves._

The new sense rose, mixed with something she could _feel._ She could see it in her mind. White clouds, foam and spray that embodied her enemy, nature itself. She reached out to it and touched it.

It was electric.

Her heart beat erratically. It should feel wrong and horrible, but it was like an adrenaline rush. Her mind went red, and her hands burned with desire. A coil of power inside her burst, and tsunamis of pure _want_ rolled out from her. Huge walls of white stone shot from the sea, towering above her, bending to her, reaching long arms to her, holding on to her like children to a mother.

Alice opened her closed eyes, and smiled. "My name is Tenshi D. Alice. Ten no Tenshi, Angle Alice. I belong to the sky above and the sea below, born in sea-foam and carved from stars. I am the one who drives the sun, who carries the moon and lights the dawn. And I now bid you farewell, proud man who sails upon my second mother." Alice spoke in a different voice, almost possessed. The sea-foam closed around the warships, and crashed down on them. A brilliant white light shone, and when it subsided, nothing remained.

Absolutely nothing, but the limp form of a sleeping girl on the deck of a pirate ship, who now had _all_ of Trafalgar Law's interest.

YAY! So now, Alice can talk! Sorry my chapters are so short, but this is my first fanfic, so be nice. Anyways, I;m writing a Bleach Fanfic, but I don't know what to call it! So stop by my profile and vote on my poll! And as always, Ja nee! ^w^


	7. Hey little angel, sing us a song!

**OKAY!**  
><strong>So, I realized I haven't updated since FOREVER... (sorry fans!) But here's the new chapter! I DO NOT own the songs- The first is "Piano"<strong>  
><strong>by Ariana Grande, second is the"Kagayaku Sora no Shijima ni wa"<strong>  
><strong>from Kuroshitsuji II, lyrics by Amanda Lee, and the third is the 7th ending song "HANABI" from Bleach. Honestly, I don't remember why I chose these songs. Probably instinct.<strong>

**Grand Line**

When Alice woke up, she was in a room with a bed, a dresser, and a desk. She sat up. She had been changed into white button-down pajamas. Her head was bandaged- she could feel the linen.

She peeked out of the room, and saw Law coming down the hall. "Ah, Miss Alice, you're awake finally?" Alice nodded, before realizing she could speak again.

"Yes, I am." She tested. She giggled, giddy with excitement.

Law smiled. "Good. We're nearing the next island, so get ready to surface. You can get clothes and such there." Law walked off. _Amazing._ He thought. _The girl had no injuries, no bruises, not even a scratch on her. Her power is truly impressive. _

Alice got dressed in simple cotton pants and a T-shirt with a tank top underneath. She felt sleepy with happiness. As she walked to the galley, she sang a little song under her breath.

**_A falcon, flies away,_**

**_Lonely as a summer day, _**

**_Carrying with it, my heart, _**

**_A falcon, flies alone, _**

**_The winter sky is where it roams, _**

**_In my world, colored black and white…_**

Alice failed to spot the totem pole of people watching her from behind a corner. Shachi, Penguin and Bepo peeked out from behind the metal wall of the sub, their cheeks pink.

"Kawaii~! She's so cute!" Penguin crooned

"So small, so graceful, she's like a little china doll!" Shachi declared.

"I wish she was a female bear…" Bepo said.

"SHUT UP!" Shachi and Penguin screamed.

"I'm sorry…" Bepo mumbled.

"Who's there?" Alice asked.

Of course, the trio had scattered by then…

After a fast breakfast in the galley, Alice went in search of Law. She ended up in front of his office. Tentatively, she knocked.

"Come in." She entered.

"Ah, Alice. I wanted to talk to you. Have a seat." Alice sat down in a swivel chair. "About that display the other day…" Alice sucked in a breath.

"I know, I know." She took a deep breath. "When I was… still… used in experiments… well, the whole point was to try and create a fake Devil Fruit. I was… the only success. The Devil Fruit I ended up with was one that controls white stuff. Like the sea-foam back there. Or what I call…" She breathed deep for the umpteenth time. "Sea-foam-stone." She looked up tentatively, expecting him to laugh at the name. She wasn't disappointed. "Stop laughing!" She huffed, pouting as Law gwaffed under his breath.

Law looked up sharply. "Don't give me orders." He said coldly. Alice could feel the chill pass through the room.

_Okay…._ She thought. "So, um, I can basically control anything that's white." Alice said, deadpanning. Law sat for a moment, then got up and moved to a cabinet. He took out a small globe filled with white stuff. He put it on a table in front of her.

"It's ice, from my hometown in the North Blue. Is it possible for you to move it?" Alice cocked an eyebrow.

"Seawater?" She asked.

"No. It's snow that melted then was frozen again."

She nodded. Holding out a hand, Alice raised the globe into the air, and spun the ice around inside. The ice swirled for a moment, then turned into a miniature Bepo. Law whistled.

"Impressive." He said. "Can you do that with anything white?"

"Yes. But… I can also become white substances." Now it was Law's turn to cock an eyebrow.

"I can also apparently become white animals, but I haven't figured that out yet." Alice said. She looked down. She didn't expect Law to believe her, so she was surprised when he took her slender arm in his rough hand.

"If you can become substances," He said softly, "Then you should be able to escape my grasp, right?" He looked her in the eyes coolly. Alice nodded, then focused. Her eyes cooled into ice, then her arm turned into white dust that floated in the air. It hovered in a cloud, then shifted back to her arm and materialized into a glimmering, shimmering limb that looked to be made of stardust.

"Amazing…" He breathed. He ran his fingers down her arm, turning it in his hands. Alice blushed red, and turned her gaze downwards. Law frowned, then grinned wickedly. He ran his hand slowly over the rest of her arm, up to her shoulder, and ghosted his fingers over her neck. He continued like this, exploring her shoulders and arms. Alice's cheeks were now bright red, and the tips of her ears were pink. Law stood back. Enough for today, they had arrived at the next island. He stood, and then walked out, beckoning Alice after him. The poor girl was fluttering and stumbling out of the room.

They got to the deck and Law surveyed the island in front of him. It was a large enough island, with a sizeable port and town center. Plenty of places to get supplies. He grinned. "Alright, let's get into port!" He yelled. The crew whooped back, and they set off for the island and whatever adventure it held

Alice went with Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo to get supplies. The men walked too fast, and Alice struggled to keep up on her short legs. She finally caught up to them, panting and huffing, when they slowed for her. Bepo's beady black eyes twinkled, and he grabbed the small girl under her arms. With Alice shouting in protest, he swung her up onto his shoulders. Alice cheered, looking around wildly.

"It's so high up here!" She squealed and laughed, and Bepo beamed at his great idea.

"Let's go!" They said, and they set off into the town, Alice riding Bepo, Shachi and Penguin biting handkerchiefs as tears streamed down their faces.

_Why didn't _I _think of that?!_ They thought unanimously.

They ended up getting food, new tools to fix the ship, and medical supplies. They got a lot of medical supplies. They got lunch from a vendor, Shachi and Penguin eating like two rabid dogs. Bepo looked on blankly, and Alice laughed openly.

At dusk, they met up with Law in front of a restaurant in the town. It was a pub. Alice got down off of Bepo's shoulders and ran to meet Law, grabbing onto his arm and squeezing it gleefully. They walked in arm and arm, Shachi and Penguin crying comically while Bepo sighed. Bepo looked on blankly, not fully understanding the situation. (But he got a hug from Alice too, much to Shachi and Penguin's chagrin.)

Alice was fascinated by the darkness inside and the smell of beer and food. They sat at an old lacquered table that seemed to have been part of a real tree- It was shaped like a tree stump. Alice decided that she very much liked this place, the laughing of the people and the delicious smells that wafted from the kitchen.

Law ordered her food and his, while Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo ordered their own. Bepo got fish. When the food came, it was hot and delicious and greasy and filling. Alice wolfed hers down, licking her fingers when she finished. Law was still chewing his steak when she sat back with a contented sigh. Shachi and Penguin were scarfing down their chicken legs in their frustration of Alice's lack-of-hugging-them.

"I'd feel bad for that chicken- except it looked like it was much appreciated." Alice cracked a lopsided grin, her eyes twinkling in the gloom of the pub. Law roared in laughter. Alice looked at him strangely- she hadn't caught the hidden innuendo in her words.

An audible crash came from the front of the restaurant, where a stage was set up for a band. A man was yelling at someone, and he sounded absolutely furious.

"What do you mean she can't be here?! I paid good money for that singer! You tell her to get here right now, or I'll cut your pay in half!" He was a short man, dressed in an expensive suit. He wiped his brow with a handkerchief.

"Senchou…" Shachi whispered. "We've got a problem."

"What is it?" Law asked, still engrossed with the unfolding drama at the front of pub and the amusing situations at their own table.

"Well you see, when Alice and Bepo were shopping, we…" Shachi started,

"Went off on our own for a bit…" Penguin continued,

"And we spent money…" Shachi kept on,

"So now…." Penguin slowed,

"We think that we don't have enough money to pay for the meal." They finished together.

Law and Alice looked at them incredulously. Law sighed.

"Well then, we'll have to dash…"

"No!" Alice said, slamming her palms to the table. "Stealing is wrong and cowardly! We'll make it up to the owner, and find some way to pay them." She looked around, trying to locate some way to explain their situation. Her gaze rested on the manager at the front of the bar, sighing into his baby Den-Den Mushi, trying to placate the owner who was now kicking over instruments in his frustration. She stood up, purpose gleaming in her eyes.

Alice strode confidently over to the man and tugged on his sleeve. Law's eyes narrowed. What was she up to…?

Alice started talking to him, her speaking confidently to the taller man, him seemingly unbelieving of this little girl in front of him. She said something, and his look shifted to undecided, then to the owner destroying the stage. She beckoned him to give her his ear, and he complied. She whispered something into his ear, and his face lit up. They shook hads vigorously, he talking a mile a minute, she smiling confidently. Alice strode back to the table, grinning happily.

"What did you do…?" Law asked, not sure if he wanted to know. Alice grinned in that confident, smugish way of hers.

"I told him in exchange for our meal, I'd sing for him instead of the other girl they'd gotten." She smiled, and marched to the stage, her friends watching her openmouthed.

"Can she even _sing_?" Shachi whispered.

"Dunno." Penguin snuck back. "But she's only just got her voice back- Think she'll be alright?"

"Of course she will. She's with us now, isn't she?" Bepo said. Even though he himself was trying to believe it, he said it with such confidence that everyone had no choice to believe him. Law looked on, curious as to what the girl would do.

Alice was backstage. She was being equipped with a mic, and women were bustling around her putting makeup on her. She gripped the hand microphone, then strode out onstage with a confident smile.

She was really… cool. She looked great on the stage. She had changed into a light white dress, and her alabaster hair was smoothed and pinned back in braids that formed a crown around her head. She smiled out to the audience, then gestured to the drummer. He tapped a beat three times, then the whole band started playing a tune, bright and poppy. It started with the piano, loud chords crashing around as some guys in the back sang backup.

She started swinging her hips and smiling, snapping and clapping.

**_I could write a song with my new piano  
>I could sing about how love is a losing battle<br>Not hard, (it's not hard),  
>It's not hard, (it's not hard),<br>It's not hard, (it's not hard),  
>It's not hard, (It's not hard),<em>**

Alice was jumping around the stage, sitting on the piano and dancing. The manger and owner both were smiling, **__**

**_And I could sing about cupid and his shooting arrow  
>In the end, you'll find out that my heart was battered<br>Real hard (Real hard)  
>It's so hard (So hard)<br>Real hard (Real hard)  
>It's that hard (It's that hard)<em>**

**_But I rather make a song they can play on the radio  
>That makes you wanna dance<br>Don't it make you wanna dance  
>But I rather make a song they can play on the radio<br>That makes you wanna grab your lover's hand_**

(Shachi and Penguin looked pointedly at Law here.)**__**

**_So hold up and  
>Take it through the night<br>And you should follow through  
>To make it alright<br>Now grab each other's hands, get 'em up  
>I want to see you rock to the piano, the piano<br>_**  
>Alice was really enjoying herself, smiling and laughing without laughing.<strong><em><em>**

**_I could write a song by my new piano  
>I could sing about how love is a losing battle<br>Not hard (It's not hard)  
>It's not hard (It's not hard)<br>It's not hard (It's not hard)  
>It's not hard (It's not hard)<em>**

**_And I could sing about cupid and his shooting arrow  
>In the end, you'll find out that my heart was battered<br>Real hard (It's not hard)  
>So hard (So hard)<br>Real hard (It's not hard)  
>It's not hard (It's not hard)<em>**

**_But I rather make a song they can play on the radio  
>That makes you wanna dance<br>Don't it make you wanna dance  
>But I rather make a song they can play on the radio<br>That makes you wanna grab your lover's hand_**

**_So hold up and  
>Take it through the night<br>And you should follow through  
>To make it alright<br>Now grab each other's hands, get 'em up  
>I want to see you rock to the piano, the piano<em>**

**_So hold up and  
>Take it through the night<br>And you should follow through  
>To make it alright<br>Now grab each other's hands, get 'em up  
>I want to see you rock to the piano, the piano<em>**

**_I'd rather tell you about how I'm feeling boy  
>And how I'm doing things my way<br>If I got my piano, then I know I'd be okay_**

**_So hold up and  
>Take it through the night<br>And you should follow through  
>To make it alright<br>Now grab each other's hands, get 'em up  
>I want to see you rock to the piano, the piano<em>**

**_So hold up and  
>Take it through the night<br>And you should follow through  
>To make it alright<br>Now grab each other's hands, get 'em up  
>I want to see you rock to the piano, the piano<em>**

**_So hold up and  
>Take it through the night<br>And you should follow through  
>To make it alright<br>Now grab each other's hands, get 'em up  
>I want to see you rock to the piano, the piano<em>**

**_I could write a song by my new piano  
>I could sing about how love is a losing battle<br>It's not hard (It's not hard)  
>It's not hard (It's not hard)<br>It's not hard (It's not hard)  
>It's not hard<em>**

Alice ended with a pose, holding the microphone above her head, her chest heaving. She grinned wildly, and everyone whooped and cheered. She was met with whistles and claps, and she grinned even wider, receiving further applause. Law didn't applaud, but the grin on his face was enough.

Alice whispered to the band leader, and he slid from his seat at the piano. After speaking to the rest of the band, only a violinist remained onstage with Alice. After nodding, Alice started playing.

It was gorgeous. First, the violin's sweet sad sound, although incomparable to Alice's music, was still breathtaking. Then, Alice's gorgeous melody that served as the icing on the cake of sad and beautiful music.

Total flawlessness.

Of course, Law was almost lost in this state of grace, so he nearly missed it when Alice began singing.

**_When all your tears, overflow, chilling and so cold,  
>Time will be singing, it's last sweet song,<br>You've sought the light, and in it, you have become strong,  
>You've shown the darkness, you can fight…<em>**

**_Do you hear the, voice of crimson,  
>Can you feel it's hue bleed inside your heart?<br>It's yearning with, every desperate note,  
><em>****_That now fades, with it's beautiful yet, dying art…_**

**_The growing night,  
>Has hidden my sacred garden,<br>Beneath all the stars, both black and white,  
>I have a prayer, that someday you will find your way<br>And swim to shore from you despair_**

**_I've never seen, the moon shining without the dark,  
>Like a babe needing, mum's lullaby,<br>It is a spell, that scares away every bad dream,  
>That could ever make him cry,<em>**

**_Goodbye my love,  
>I can't think of,<br>How I'll live without seeing you again ,  
>Though they, can't see,<br>You were part of me,  
>And that piece has now been hallowed out, by the night..!<em>**

**_I have a prayer,  
>That someday the sky will give way,<br>And let these bare feet of mine walk through,  
>Behind the clouds,<br>And over the white crescent moon,  
>There'll be a path that leads to you…<em>**

**_Let the clock reverse…_**

Everyone was cheering and hollering, so why did Alice feel so upset? She didn't even know the song she just sang: It just came to her, the words, the notes. A single tear rolled down her cheek, glistening like a diamond. She launched into another song before she could cry.

Of course, she wasn't the only one aware that she had tears in her eyes. Gunmetal gray eyes slanted at light blue, and scrutinized the glittering quality from across the room. She motioned the violinist and drummer to begin.

**_Kirameite yurameite, aoki yume maihanatsu _****_  
>(The flowers are set alight, sparkling, dancing,)<em>**

**_Hana moeyuku  
>(Releasing a blue dream)<em>**

**_Seijaku ni ochiru sora,  
>(Two petals from the fireworks…)<em>**

**_ Futahira no yume hanabi,  
>(Fireworks of dreams, fall quietly in the sky)<em>**

**_Mune saku, omoi wo, anata ni utau wa koe ga kikoeru?  
><em>****_(Did you, who went away to the other side, see it too? It's the same light…!)_**

**_Setsuna ni hiraku sore wa hanabi…  
>(I'm singing of this love that tears my heart apart…)<em>**

**_Kirameite yurameit,  
>(It's fireworks, bursting in an instant) <em>**

**_Aoki yume maihanatsu  
>(Bloom proudly, way up high)<br>_****_  
>Sakihokore haruka takaku<br>(Sparkling, dancing, releasing a blue dream)_**

**_Mamoriyuku sono omoi, hitasura narihibike,  
>(The love that protects us, rings out in earnest!)<br>_****_  
>Hateru made semete tsuyoku…<br>(At least it will be strong until the end)_**

**_Kono hana moe yuku..!  
><em>****_(_****_The flowers are set alight…!)_**

When Alice had finished all three songs, she was welcomed with applause and cheers, so why did she feel so sad? She made her way through pushing and shoving hands and good-natured pats, but her knees shook and she felt unsteady on her feet.

She was suddenly scooped up, and she gasped against Law's side. He had pulled her into his chest, and put one hand around her shoulders to steady her.

"We're leaving- Let's go" He said, and Shachi and Penguin scrambled after them. Alice looked up to Law with a look of relief. She was grateful for his strength at the moment. Law took her through the crowd easily, moving quickly, weaving within people with no resistance at all.

They made it back to the sub without incident, and Law sent Alice off to bed. She entered her room wearily, and slipped out of her clothes into an oversized T-shirt someone in the crew had loaned her. It was dark blue, almost black, and made her even paler then she already was.

She sat in front of the mirror placed on her desk, and sighed. She braided her hair back, looking halfheartedly into her ice blue eyes. She slipped under the covers of her duvet and out her hands behind her head. She stared at her ceiling, then saw that the curtain over the porthole had been pulled back. She could see the stars. They were like someone had taken a needle and poked holes into milky blue fabric, letting the purest light out from behind.

She didn't like it on bit, and turned away hastily. She fell asleep fitfully, tossing and turning under her covers. She mumbled in her sleep, softly speaking.

**_A falcon… flies away…  
>Lonely as a… summer day…<br>Carrying… with it… my heart…_**

**_A falcon… flies alone…  
>The… winter sky… is where it roams…<br>In my world… colored black and white…_**

Nobody heard her but one soul, leaning idly against the wall outside her door. Shadows hid his face, turned downwards to the floor. He held a long sword in his hands, and his long legs inclined and bent from the wall. His arms crossed in front his chest, inked tattoos adorning his skin; he raised his head, a pair of sharp gunmetal gray eyes piercing the air in front of him.

In the shadows of the night aboard the submarine, his eyes were bright and dangerous among gloomy shadows. They were two silver-gray slivers in the darkness that shot open when they heard the voice of the one they were so confused about from beyond the door.

**ALRIGHT! REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW! I BEG OF YOU REVIEW! C ya next time, and Jaa ne! ^w^**


	8. Long long long little red rose

**HELLO! And, yes, I AM SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN FOREVER! I AM A HORRIBLE AUTHOR! AND A WORSE PERSON! **bows** Gomen! Here's a super long chapter to make it to you, with lots and lots of treats and goodies. Enjoy! **bows****

**A place somewhere far away….**

_Hahh….. Hahh…._

_No… Please no…._

_Please, no! No! NO!_

_She gasped. It had only been a dream. She looked around her stark, cold room with half lidded eyes, and shivered underneath her thin blanket. Her tiny bed was a hospital cot with a reedy mattress thrown on it, and a window with thick bars to its side. She was about to fall back to sleep when the metal door was thrown into the room with a loud clang._

_"__Lovey! Time to Wakey-Wakey!"_

_Her eyes flew open, panic gripping her heart. He was there, smiling above her with just a tint of madness to his luminous grin. _

_"__Come on Lovey, let's get up now! We can't stay in bed forever!" He cooed, and gently pulled the covers out of her hands and down past her thighs. He helped her up and out of the bed, and took her small hand in his large one. He pulled her through the stark, hospital-like corridors, until they turned to steel, then to carpeted wood floors. _

_The lush tapestries, plush carpet, opulent vases, scented flowers, and colorful paintings nearly blinded poor eyes. She kept her gaze on the floor as He led her through the corridors, past maids in starched white dresses and aprons and shining doors of wood, brass, and frosted glass. It was these last doors she feared the most. _

_He stopped in front of a wooden door with a brass knob. He turned it, and revealed a plush room with roses in vases on lacquered tables with shining surfaces. The huge bed had chiffon hanging from all corners, and a huge fluffy duvet with many embroidered pillows covered what she suspected to be a very comfortable mattress. An upholstered bench sat at the end of the bed. A large wardrobe was in the left corners, and an ivory vanity table sat to its left. _

_He sat her down on the bench, and spun over to the wardrobe in that whirlwind way of his. He pulled out a dress from the wardrobe. It was black, long sleeved with blue cuffs and white trim, and white trim down the center and neckline, cut into frilly triangles. It had a little white collar that was starched down into little folds. The skirt was black, and cut into triangular shapes. The ends were black lace, little round shapes that shaped the triangles. It had a little blue corset with white lace wing, and a yellow ribbon to hold it in place. It also had a little cover-up, the ends cut like the dress, but not layered over one another like the skirt._

_He helped her put it on, and straightened the little triangle-layered skirt. He aided her in putting on the corset, and tied it in the front of the dress with a yellow ribbon. He buttoned the dress' blouse front, smiling and speaking amiably to her throughout. She didn't trust this man one bit, and always kept her guard up around him, but she knew and was comfortable with him. He was completely and undeniably insane, but he cared for her in these fleeting moments. _

_When he was satisfied with her outfit, he sat her down at the vanity and started brushing out her hair. He pulled the soft bristled brush through her long, silvery hair, and chattered away happily above her. And that's where his words stayed- above her. His words passed right over her head, and she tried to sleep in the chair, but she nearly fell off the plush stool. He straightened her with a firm hand, and laughed in that trill way of his. _

_"__Sleepy, are we?" He asked, and held his hand to her back, supporting her so she could relax. She was grateful to that small gesture, for it allowed her a small moment of rest. _

_When he had finished brushing her hair out, he styled it over her forehead into little angles, and pulled her longer strands of hair behind her ears. _

_"__Beautiful! You look so wonderful my little darling, my little angle! My Lovey, my Little Angel! So beautiful, so sweet and wonderful and lovely!" He cooed, flaunting her with words until the tips of her ears turned pink. She fiddled with her high collar, and he noticed it immediately. _

_"__Oh, Lovey, is the dress too hot for you? I'm sorry my sweet, you can change right away if you wish!" He frowned._

_"__No, it's fine. This dress is lovely, thank you." She smiled. He smiled back. _

_"__Alright then my Lovey, if you say so." He smiled, and then stood her up from her stool. She looked out the windows as he bustled around the room. It was still early, the dawning light just beginning to fade into blue. The ornate, velvet curtains were pulled back by braided gold ropes and tassels. The whole room was done in lavish colors and materials. _

_He gave her a pair of midnight-blue slippers, also richly embroidered with threads, and pulled her from the room. They once again walked through the twisting corridors, and she once again nearly fell over her own two feet on the plush carpeting. _

_They came to a set of French double-doors, and He pushed them in to reveal a big, sunlit room. The room was white, beige and pink. Huge, floor to ceiling windows overlooked the old, waterlogged rose garden. Stone arches and pillars were broken from years of neglect, but roses in the most passionate and vibrant shades of red climbed every available surface. They intertwined in complicated spirals of green and red, and vines crisscrossed over each other. The water made a shallow carpet of glass to walk through, collected from years of rain and storms. She thought it was rather sad- the beautiful roses she saw were only alive due to the tears of the sky. She turned her thoughts to the huge, L shaped couch and loveseat, and the two people who occupied the later. _

_They were one man and one boy. The man was very strange- He wore strange orange glasses with white rims, and a huge, fluffy pink coat. He had a wide grin, almost like His, but it was more in control than His. He was quite loud. The one next to him was silent and still. He wore a strange mushroom hat, and had steel gray eyes. His outfit was simple black pants, white button down, and black jacket. He seemed bored. _

_"__Doflamingo-sama! It has been too long. Lovey! Come and sit down!" He sat her down on the huge L shaped couch, and she sat still and straight backed, not smiling, not looking at anyone. He sat down too, started talking good-naturedly with the other man._

_The boy didn't join in with them, and only spoke when spoken too. She didn't speak at all- she simply nodded or shook her head. A maid came in at one point with tea and drinks. The men had champagne, and the loud man insisted on the boy having some too. She had tea that was too sweet for her liking, but He insisted on it. She did not want to be scolded later, so she took it and everything else he gave her without question. _

_"__So, this is the girl? Subject eleven, the only success?" The loud man asked. He studied her, grinning at her like he was a possessed doll. She shuddered inwardly, but held herself still. Plenty of other men had stared at her before, but showing no fear turned them off. _

_He smiled "Correct, Doffy. She is our success- a girl who perfectly embodies our hopes!" _

_The loud man stopped grinning. "I had better hopes, Kureiji. A lot of money went into this project- you've had one success." His tone was dark now. He gulped. _

_"__I know, Doffy-sama. I had better hopes too- We had another one, but she just recently failed. Tragic." He shook his head. She stiffened her spine going taut. She tried to push out the memories, the pictures she had in her mind, but it was so hard. She couldn't bear the sadness and the pain that came with those thoughts - She couldn't think of her now, she'd black out. _

_The boy noticed her struggle; her screwed up face and shut eyes. He leaned forwards in his seat, resting his hands on his knees. He watched her intently, his piercing gray eyes watching her face. Her light blue eyes wandered around, her teeth ground shut, her cheeks red. With a gentle hand, he leaned forwards onto his knees and reached for her cheek. She leaned back, flinching and biting her lip, threatening to bleed. Her eyes were scrunched up together and her hands gripped her knees, her knuckles white. _

_His hand made contact with the side of her face, warm and soft. After a small start, the girl visibly relaxed, and opened her eyes to look at the one in front of her. His steady gaze held her blue orbs, his left arm creating a barrier between them and the two men who spoke loudly. Her wide, innocent eyes locked with his steel gray ones, and they sat there watching each other for a while. She simply watched his sharp eyes, until she breathed out in a long, deep sigh, and her eyes closed. _

_The boy looked on, even as the girl dozed off with her eyes closed and her shoulders relaxed. He watched her slump backwards, her now limp back hitting the couch with a soft thud and her head pressing deeper into his large, worn hand. He frowned. He didn't want her to sleep now, no matter how cute she was. He tried applying pressure to her cheek to wake her, and pinched her cheek too. No reaction. Sighing, he let his hand slip down to touch her jaw. The girl's eyes popped open, ad her mouth formed a little "o". _

_Raising an eyebrow, he grinned, and let his fingers roam where he pleased. Her jaw, her eyelids, the curve of her nose, her soft cheeks, her high cheek bones, her temples, her forehead underneath her bangs. The girl turned a violent shade of scarlet, her blush so deep and red the boy wondered if she had caught a fever. _

_"__Ah, Lovey!" He said. She turned to look at Him, grateful for a reason to turn away from the boy in front of her. His hand made her blush. His hand made her blush! It didn't hurt her, it didn't make her cry, it didn't slap or cuff or pull her. It felt… nice. _

_She looked at Him, her face blank and stoic once again. Inside thought, her heart beat rapidly and her palms sweat- it was fear, she decided. You've felt this before, tis is fear. But it wasn't. It was different. _

_"__Lovey, show our guest your power." He asked, smiling. He took her hand and pulled her over to his side, sliding the girl against His hip. The boy narrowed his eyes at him, glaring. "Go on, go on!" _

_She looked up, a bit flustered, but she did sit up. He pulled her into his lap, sliding the backs of her knees over his thighs. She blushed a bit, and raised her hands in front of her. After a short minute, a small ball of light formed inside her cupped hands. She bent and twisted it like rubber, then let it float around in the air, moving it like a snake or a dragon. The loud man looked on with a large grin, chuckling under his breath a bit. She let it rest in her hand, coiling it up into a tight ball._

_She looked up at Him, and waited. He had a hand around her waist, another over her thighs. He smiled a bit, and looked at the loud man. "Well, Doffy-sama? What do you think?" _

_The loud man laughed "Very good Kureiji. But… What exactly is it?" He looked at her with that same creepy grin, but now it had a strange, tight quality to it. She felt chills down her spin. _

_"__She can control things that are white, apparently. We have tried several times to get her to control different substances. So far, she has demonstrated control over light and white stones such as quartz and marble. And also…" She stopped listening at this point. She didn't want to re-visit the moments where they had attempted to get her to control different things. She remembered being strapped to an exam chair and being told to move things or else there would be consequences. And she feared the consequences that were spoken of._

_She looked around frantically, searching for something else to control. If she moves something, then nothing will happen, right? Of course, that's all they want. The just want her to move something, to show her power. They won't hurt her if she does. Nothing bad will happen if she uses her powers. No matter how much it hurts, it will be okay, it only hurts inside. It doesn't bleed or burn or get infected like the other wounds. It doesn't work the same. _

_It isn't her skin that's torn. It's just her heart. _

_Looking around, she saw the bow's white fuzzy hat. She raised a hand, and the hat slowly levitated, then started floating over to her. The boy looked up when he noticed the loss of his hat- he shot her a look of mixed emotions. He was vaguely intrigued, but the loss of his hat outweighed his curiosity. He growled under his breath. _

_She plopped the hat down on her head, pulling it down past her ears and just over her eyelids. She stuck her tongue out at the boy, pulling down the skin under her right eye. The flamboyant man laughed out loud behind her. "Fufufufufu! You're funny girl! Looks like your favorite hat got stolen Law! Fufufufufu!" He threw his head backwards and roared in laughter. The boy glowered at the man and snatched his hat back, pulling it even lower on his face. _

Law…._ The girl thought. _That must be his name.

_"__Law…" She whispered. The men's gazed snapped to her, all laughter lost. He looked at her with a look of darkness, the loud man with one of amusement, and the boy, (Law, she corrected herself) Law, he looked at her bewilderment._

_"__Law…" She said again, louder. She looked at Law, straight in the eyes. "Law." She watched him, and vice-versa. For a while, they simply sat, speaking with their eyes. _

_Law stood. "Dofflaming-sama. I'm going to take a walk." _

_The loud man laughed. "Fine then Law. Don't get lost, brat!" Law nodded silently, then walked over to the girl. He grasped her wrist and pulled her to her feet, dragging her towards the door. _

_They were stopped by Him. He grabbed Law's wrist, the same wrist that was entwined with her's. She flinched as He drew Law's wrist higher, consequently drawing hers higher unto the air too. _

_"__And just where do you think you're taking Angel, you petty mongrel?" He rumbled, a low growl in his throat. She shivered, a chill going from her shoulders to course throughout her entire body, down to her toes. _

_Law narrowed his eyes; the two of them locked in a battle of red and grey eyes, the white girl left hanging in between them, whimpering. He had that look in his eyes. The one that so terrified her. The madness, the insanity, the look of loss. That way he would curl his lips back and show his teeth, and let his eyes dance with the light of lunacy. She had always somehow enjoyed that word. Lunacy. The moon, the black, crazy moon. Crazy crazy, quite Kureiji, how does your madness grow? With blackened skies and silver moons and tortured screaming souls._

_The loud man spoke, "Oh let her go Kureiji. Law's not the type. Besides, we have adult thing to speak about!" He gwaffed, throwing his face up to the ceiling. He grit his teeth, and let go of Law's wrist. _

_"__Touch her and you're dead, mongrel." He snarled, and turned on his heel. He walked back to teh couch, sitting across from the loud man, and sat down, resting his head on his right fist. He glared at the two of them, as Law dragged her from the room. She looked over her shoulder at him, concern in her eyes, until she left the room and the door closed shut. Then she regarded Law's steadily moving form, weaving between the forms of people and carts and table pushed against the wall. She regarded his smooth back, hidden underneath a black jacket. He wore dark colors. Black boots, Dark jeans, black jacket, and dark blue shirt. The hat on his head was the only light thing in the outfit. However, on his shirt, he bore a strange smiley with spokes, done by hand in yellow craft paint. It was half teeth, half eyes, and surrounded by short spokes on the outside. _

_He took her outside, to the patio that overlooked the old waterlogged rose garden. She gazed out at the view. The water table has stone stairs descending from the patio to the foot deep water, and from there on was a maze of pillars and arches and dilapidated structures, covered in passionate, beautiful blooms. _

_She had always associated roses with bleeding hearts. Everyone started with a white bloom. It was eventually turned red when love touched a virgin's soul, and then the blood of that purity flowed from the body to that bloom, giving everyone a different, passionately red rose to hold, just above you're their heart. _

_But hers was not like that. She suspected hers was black. Rotting and old and dead. Wilting and snapped, nothing more than a collection of dead petals and stem held together by a thread of cruel fate. _

_But looking out at the beautiful roses here, she could imagine what her's would have looked like. Her rose. It would have been the most gorgeous cerise, a bright and startling crimson that glowed in both light and dark, a rose that was full and round and perfect and red. A red, red, rose for a white, white girl. _

_A single paint splatter on a perfect cream canvas, a single spot of blood a figure of untouched snow, a single passionate color on a marionette of the finest china. A single color in a world of black and white. In her winter, colored black and white._

_He moved to the water's edge, and removed his shoes. She removed her own, copying him. He rolled up his pants, but she didn't need to. He skirt hung around her thighs. _

_She looked up. The sky was just becoming darker, the sun just getting lower in the sky. Law took her hand, and led her down the stairs. Her feet touched the cold water, and she shivered. The water was a collection of rainwater. It was in no way ever heated, except by the sun's rays. _

_They walked along, intertwining between the columns and going under the arches, looking up at the sky. She still held Law's hand, but instead of Law pulling her, now she walked alongside him. She still was by his side, and she still followed him, but she felt more like an equal then she ever had before. She looked at their hands. He held her wrist and she held his. His grip was warm and comforting, and his hand was soft against hers. She liked his touch. _

_They kept walking between the pillars and arches, until they came to a stop. Law had chosen a place that overlooked the sea. They girl looked back- she saw the huge manor-like mansion that loomed against the sky. She knew that the island they were on was elevated into the air- it was shaped like a mushroom, only not pointy at the top. They could look out, past the pillars and roses and stone walls and battlements and fences and gates to the sea. To the sky. _

_She watched the sky. It was dusk, a gorgeous rose-peony color, mixed with purples and peaches and light blues. Nimble clouds rolled through the sky, getting pushed along by the wind. She held Law's hand tighter, staring up at the sky openmouthed. Law looked over at her. She looked so childish, gaping at the sky like she was. He chuckled under his breath._

_Law's hand slipped from her's, but she could hardly notice. She was enchanted by the sky. It was so pretty, all sorts of different colors. There were so many different oranges and yellows and blues and violets, but they didn't hurt her eyes like the colors in the house. They were soft and sweet, like the colors of the cakes the maids had brought in for Him and the loud man. They were beautiful. _

_Law tapped her shoulder. She turned around, eyes clouded with happiness. Law smiled, and held something out to her. It was a single red rose. The girl gaped, and took it in her hands. _

_"__Ow!" She held out her left hand. A tiny prick on her finger spilled a bit of blood. One of the thorns from the rose had cut her. _

_"__Come here." Law beckoned. He took her hand in his and examined the cut. It was small, barely a prick. He gently applied pressure to the cut to stop the bleeding. The girl froze up under his touch, eyes squeezed shut. _

_"__Okay, done." Law said. She opened her eyes. Her finger had been covered in a small adhesive bandage. Law put away a small tube of antibacterial cream into his jacket pocket. "I always carry around bandages and my scalpel." He said proudly. She noticed for the first time, the shining scalpel in his left hand. _

_Reaching out, she took the scalpel from his hand, and ran over to the nearest pillar. "Hey, what are you…" Law asked. She began cutting away at the stalk of one of the roses. When it finally snapped free, she proudly stood and presented it to Law. _

_"__It's for you!" She said with a smile. Law looked at her, and took it. He chuckled, then reached up and put it in her hair. She protested, going to take it out. He stopped her. _

_"__No." He said. "I want you to keep it for me." He smiled, and started walking back towards the house. The girl turned around one more time, looking off into the distance. Beyond roses and pillars and arches and stones, beyond walls and battlements and fences and gates. Beyond even the sky itself. _

_"__Hey, what are you doing? I'll leave you behind!" Law shouted at her. He was waiting up ahead. _

_Staring once more at the beautiful sunset, she ran off to catch up with Law, one rose in her hand and another in her hair. _

_Later that night, back in her small cold room, the girl replayed the day's events. She recalled everything, from the looks and the touches down to the sights and the sounds. She was just falling asleep when she remembered Law and the other man leaving. _

_"__By the way, I never asked your name." Law said. Maids hustled around, getting coats and bags and readying the carriage. No one heard the small girl's next words. _

_"__My name is Maria" She said, smiling. _

**I know I probably don't deserve it because I'm such an awful person... But review?**


	9. End of the Dream

**OKAY! So, new chapter of CIAS, shorter than the last two (haha, those were miracles) take it away Disclaimer!**

**Disclaimer: Nope. **

**Alicia: DO IT!**

**Disclaimer: Alicia owns EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING. ****_EVERYTHING_****.**

**Alicia: **cups hand over Disclaimer's mouth** Haha, funny joke Disclaimer! Actually, I, Tenshi D. Alicia, own ****_nothing,_**** So please forget about this bakahead and enjoy the chapter! **drags away Disclaimer kicking and screaming****

**Grand Line**

When Alice awoke the next morning, she threw her pillow over her head in embarrassment.

_Oh my god! Why why why why why? What was I thinking last night?! Why did I sing!? Oh my god I'm so embarrassed…. _Alice let her emotions stew for a bit, turning beet red beneath her pillow.

When she finally got up, she looked at herself in the mirror. Ratty clothes, scraggly hair, dark eyes… She was a wreck. She frowned. What sort of dreams did she have to make her look so haggard?

On second thought, she didn't want to know.

Once Alice dressed and washed her face, she quietly opened the door. It didn't seem like anyone was up yet. That was good. She tiptoed down the hall, making no noise as she slipped past the captain's quarters and the crew's quarters. She got a glimpse of Bepo, Shachi and Penguin sleeping on top of one another as she passed by. She snickered.

She made it to the kitchen. She was _starving_. She hopped up onto a stool and went about getting breakfast- boiling milk, mixing batter, squeezing lemons- until Alice realized that she was only cooking for herself, not for the crew.

_That isn't fair!_ She thought. _I should make breakfast for everyone!_ So Alice started making a real breakfast. Pancakes, toast, eggs, bacon, fruits, meats, breads, pastries, everything! She mixed batter, whipped creams, and measures syrups. She beat eggs, flipped pancakes, and toasted bread. She fried bacon and made her specialty, a walnut chip coffee cake.

Once everything was laid out, hot foods covered and the liquor cabinet _locked_, only then did Alice sit down to drink her cup of cocoa and eat her cereal and toast.

"Oh! I forgot the coffee!" Alice jumped up and ran back into the kitchen to put on the coffee pot. She was just coming back out, carrying the fresh coffee, when the crew started to file in, yawing and stretching.

The look on their faces fed Alice's ego like nothing else. Huge platters of toast and pastries! Piles upon piles of pancakes! Bowls of boiled eggs and fruit and small jars of jam! Plates of bacon and sausages and ham! And the golden brown coffee cake that sat in the middle of it all, like the jewel set in a crown.

The crew fell onto the food like ravenous animals. Meat and eggs were devoured in seconds. Juices and drinks were chugged straight up. Breads and pancakes got tossed around, screams of "Pass the butter!" and "My syrup!" and "MEEEEAT!"

Alice laughed, carried by the crowd. Looking around, she didn't see Law. She hopped around, balancing her plate and mug in one hand, a plate of food for Law in the other.

When Law arrived, he looked half dead and half adorable. Alice felt her heart flutter at the sight of him. His hair was mussed and his eyes were droopy. He shuffled around, and everyone parted for him. They knew better than to be fooled by their captain's appearance- He got stronger when he's half asleep.

Law plopped down at his chair, and nearly fell back to sleep within two seconds. Alice slid a plate of food and a mug of coffee his way. He perked up after that. His eyes cleared after his first sip, then he knocked back the whole mug in one go.

"Seconds." He ordered. Alice was already there, re-filling his mug.

"Try the coffee cake" She advised, and walked out of the galley to clean up the kitchen. Her head popped back into the galley. "And don't worry about the mess guys, I'll clean up later."

Law left promptly to go work on paperwork, taking with him cake and coffee.

"If captain ever tries to get rid of her we all go on strike." Shachi stated flatly. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Law!" Alice chanted. "Law!" A vein appeared on Law's head, throbbing.

"Laaaw!" Alice whined, poking Law in the back and trying to get his attention. Law was at his desk, _trying_ to do some work, but Alice kept interrupting him.

"What. Do. You. WANT?" He said, turning around so suddenly he nearly smacked Alice in the face.

"I want to shop for new clothes!" Alice huffed, and sank to her knees on the floor, pouting. Law sighed, still seated in his chair.

"Alice, I have to work…"

"Then let me go with Shachi and Penguin! And Bepo too!" She said, waving her arms madly.

"Alice…" Law sighed.

"Laaaaw!" She mimicked.

Law gritted his teeth. On one hand, if he sent her to shop, he could get some work done. On the other, the odds of Alice coming back unscathed were little to none. Penguin and Shachi were not exactly the best supervisors.

"Please Law! Please?" Alice begged, making prayer hands and frantically bobbing up and down on the floor. Law sighed.

"Fine, you can go." He said. Alice squealed with joy, and tried to throw herself at him. He stopped her, seating her back on the floor.

"Rule one. You may not wander on your own _at any given time_. Rule two. If you some much as hear the word Marine, you come back immediately. Rule three. If Penguin or Shachi somehow get intoxicated, you are to stop whatever you are doing and return immediately with Bepo. Understood?"

"Yes sir!" Alice saluted him, and dashed out the door to tell everyone to get ready.

Law sighed. Exactly what would this expedition cost him; financial wise, and sanity wise?

Alice had raced throughout the whole ship trying to find Penguin and Shachi. Now that she was more comfortable on the ship, she seemed to fit right in. She was like a bright, smiling ball of light that bounced around the ship. Everyone stuck their heads out of their rooms to smile and wave as she passed by, turning corners at speeds that would never be mentioned in front of the captain.

Alice screeched to a stop in front of the engine room. She found Penguin wheeled under a pipe, and Shachi handing him tools. Both had unzipped their boiler suits and tied them around their waists, exposing the black shirts beneath.

"Law said I could go shopping. You guys are coming too- get ready!" And she was off again to wake up Bepo, wherever he had decided to take his afternoon nap.

"Did you understand what she just said?" Shachi asked Penguin, who had wheeled himself out from under the pipe.

"I got this-She's going shopping, we're going with her." Penguin said.

The two men blushed at _that_ little thought…

"Bepoo!" Alice jumped on top of the sleeping bear. Bepo woke violently, jerking upwards as Alice landed in the middle of his back.

"Ow ow owww… What the… Alice…?" Bepo rubbed his head.

Alice started beating his back with her tiny fists. "Bepoo! Come on! Law said I could go shopping!" Bepo turned around and looked at her.

"Oh, he said yes?" Bepo said, standing up and brushing himself off. Alice grabbed his hand and started dragging him in the direction of the hall. She didn't get very far, trying to drag the polar bear across the floor.

"Yes, he said yes, now let's go! I wanna go!" Alice whined, then pouted, then sunk to her knees and stared at Bepo with puppy dog eyes. It worked like a charm.

"Alright, alright, let's go." Bepo sighed, and Alice trotted along by his side, rejoicing as they made their way to the upper deck.

"Have I ever mentioned…."

"How much…"

"I hate shopping?"

"Knock it off."

"Uh…"

"DON'T JUST STAND THERE!"

"I'm sorry!"

"Quit beating on Bepo!" POW!

"Ow ow ow…"

Alice was having a hard time shopping. She just didn't know where to go! She had never had to shop before. Shachi and Penguin noticed her struggle.

"Hey Alice, do you know where you wanna go?" Penguin asked her, leaning over her shoulder.

"No… I don't even know where to start!" Alice admitted. Trying to cover up her mistake would only embarrass herself.

"I see…" Penguin gave Shachi and look, and Shachi returned it. Grinning devilishly, the pair stared at Alice with a malicious glint in their eyes. Bepo and Alice huddled closer together, nervously looking back.

_What are they up to…?_

Law sighed. It had been a while now- He should come out soon. He was sick of waiting in this dank alley for this person, and was getting annoyed. And the Dark Doctor was not the nicest person when he was annoyed.

Sure enough, a man came through a door into the alley, wearing a chef's outfit. He had ash gray hair held back by a black headband with two white stripes. He sighed, and pulled a cigarette box out of his pocket.

"Gotta get a light…" He muttered, pulling a lighter from his other pocket. He lit a cigarette and brought it to his lips, breathing deeply. He exhaled, sighing shakily into the night air, now gray with smoke. Law wrinkled his nose, then walked up to the man.

"Hello. I take it you must be Haru Suzushima." He said in his smooth baritone. The gray haired man looked up, face cast in light from the dim bulb above their heads. He grinned, his cigarette still between his lips.

"Sure am. Did you need anything mister? The entrance is round front- I could show you if wante-" Law held up a hand to stop him.

"Mister Haru, I have have business with only on individual here; you." He said, eyes glinting. The man's grin slowly softened, his jovial eyes becoming serious. "I want you to join my crew."

"Well I'll be. Trafalgar Law, I ain't seen you for so long I thought you were a member of the mafia!" The ask blond exclaimed, extending a hand to grab Law's and shake it. Surprisingly, Law gripped his hand and shook back.

"I agree, it's been too long. Daros is still with us though." Law said. Haru exclaimed in excitement, ranting about how good it would be to see him again and what has Law been up to and have you found a girlfriend yet? Law grinned slyly at this.

"Haru, I want you to come with us out to sea." Law said. Haru gave him a serious look.

"I don't know Law. I've got a life here, a job, friends, things are good."

Law smiled. "I know you Haru. You want adventure, not monotony. We leave in a day. I'll see you there." Law said, turning around to leave. Haru sighed, then smiled. He would be there. He didn't know why, but Law was the only man he would follow, and he knew he would be there.

Law knew too.

Alice was getting tugged along by Penguin, laughing as they wound through the streets in the twilight. Shachi was ahead, and Bepo was behind them, fighting to keep up. Alice was dressed in new clothes, a white sundress with blue ribbons, and was holding onto a stuffed animal that Shachi had bought her. It was a snow leopard that Alice had named Shino.

Bepo carried her new clothes, most of which Penguin had picked out for her. The man had great fashion sense, and Alice knew she would look good in her new clothes. Shachi hadn't been of much help; but he got her the leopard, so he wasn't useless.

"Come on Alice, this way!"

Alice and Penguin darted through a crowd, weaving through throngs of people. Alice let go of Penguin's hand for a second, getting swept up by the people.

"Crap! Alice!"

Alice stumbled to a halt in front of the entrance to an alley. A man in a long coat was standing there too. "Need any help young lady?" Alice nodded, and he took her hand. Leading her out of the dark alley, she spotted her friends up ahead.

"Look, there are your friends." The man said, letting go of her hand. Turning her head towards him, Alice smiled.

"Thanks mister!" She said. The man smiled gently, pushing her in the direction of her frantic friends.

"Go on now, and don't get swept away, little angle." He murmured. Alice ran over to Shachi and Penguin, and they both scolded her for running away. "Don't be destroyed, my little angle…" The man murmured, drifting back into the darkness of the alley.

**Okay guys, REVIEW, and see ya next time! Jaa-ne ^_^!**

**Disclaimer: **pile of bloody limbs** O-oi... Dying... Here...**


	10. Pain and Revelation! Alice's name is?

**Okay! Alicia here, with chapter 10 of ****Cause it All Started****! Somebody asked if "Alice" and "Maria" were the same person in the reviews from last chapter- you'll get to find out here!**

**Shoutouts to ****NightHunterDeath**** and ****10th Squad 3rd Seat**** for reviewing every chapter to date! FOLLOW THEIR EXAMPLE AND REVIEW FOR ME! **

**The Disclaimer is on vacation, so I'm gonna do it this time! Do I own One Piece? NO! Do I want to? NO! Do I love it? HELL YES! LET'S GET STARTED!**

**CHAPTER 10**

**Grand Line**

The next island they arrived at wasn't nearly as nice as the last.

Around a week after leaving Sukuingushi, the Heart Pirates had arrived at Forves Island. This island was heavily monitored by Marines, but Law knew his crew could take care of themselves. It was peaceful to say the least; brick roads, stone houses, no signs of struggle. But it was almost completely deserted; save for suspicious shadows that lurked in doorways and alleys.

Alice took a tentative step off of the ship. "Are you sure it's safe here…?" She asked nervously. She felt the uncontrollable urge to run back into the safety of the ship, back to Law's side where she felt safe. She shivered in the cold air- she wore a new gray skirt and white shirt, with brown boots lined with fur. Long white socks reached past her knees. Penguin took her hand as she hopped down over the railing of the shop into the shipyard.

"Don't worry Alice- we're here, so it's fine." Penguin smiled. Alice smiled back, temporarily comforted. But her ease turned back to fear as she walked through the town clutching Penguin's left arm. Her legs shivered in the cold wind.

Bepo and Shachi walked ahead of them, both tense and alert. Alice held the sleeve of Penguin's uniform, her head turning back and forth as she surveyed their surroundings. Penguin kept his eyes focused ahead, watching for danger.

Suddenly, out of nowhere a person flew into Shachi, knocking the man off his feet and into the side of a building. Alice screamed. The person landed on their feet and another one attacked Bepo, throwing a kick to the polar bear's side. Penguin jumped in front of Alice and drew a hidden knife from his sleeve, using it to deflect the blade of another combatant. Shachi got up and launched himself at his attacker, pulling a wickedly curved blade from his boot. Bepo and his opponent threw punches and kicks in a flurry against each other, while Shachi and Penguin played with steel blades.

Alice whirled around, coming to face another attacker. They all dressed in black from head to toe, black masks covering their faces. Only their eyes were visible. This person held a knife in their right hand, jerking it up the throw. Alice ran to her left, picking up a pipe and flinging it up, blocking the knife that would've gone straight through her head.

Alice summoned a handful of white stones to her side, pelting the person with a storm of tiny white pebbles. They ran through the storm, grabbing her hands and slamming them upwards, over her head. She gritted her teeth, and bent her hair around to grab her attacker's throat. They gagged and dropped her hands, releasing her from their grasp.

But not before they got a knife through her chest.

Alice coughed up blood, splattering the ground below her scarlet. She heard someone who sounded like Penguin scream her name, and felt herself ripped away from the blade and held horizontally. She opened her closed eyes, looking up into Shachi's face. He held her against his knee, her back against his thigh. His shoulder was bloody with a wound, and she saw a bruise over his temple; no doubt his side hurt from that earlier impact. Alice wouldn't be surprised if he had fractured his ribs.

She was being rushed to somewhere. He hearing was coming back now- she could hear Shachi's breathing as he ran. He panted.

Slamming his feet onto the deck of the ship, Shachi screamed for his captain. Law slammed the door to the ship open, his eyes falling on his bleeding comrade and the shivering girl in his arms; he saw his first mate and Penguin climbing over the side of the ship's railing.

Ordering them to get to the infirmary, he called for Daros and Haru to help Penguin and Bepo up. Running back inside, Law grabbed Shachi by the arm and ran with him to the infirmary. Swinging open the metal doors, he pushed Shachi over to one side of the room while he went towards the other, already gathering instruments and medicines.

Shachi laid Alice down on a cot and sat down next to her. Bepo and Penguin were shuffled in by Haru and Daros. Alice cracked open one eye, looking at Haru with suspicion.

"Why're there… two Daroses?" She asked. Haru grinned sheepishly.

"Guess we haven't met before- I'm Haru, Daros's cousin. Sorry to meet on such bad circumstances." Alice grinned faintly, then proceeded to cough up blood. Shachi reached over to pat the back of her neck and cupped her mouth. She coughed into his hand.

Law strode back over. "Daros, you stay. Haru, go get Crowe and Erik." Haru left, saluting Alice with a grin. She grinned back with bloody lips.

"Shachi, what happned?" Law asked, already cutting Shachi's sleeve open to look at the stab wound on his right shoulder. Shachi winced.

"We got attacked by some people in black." Shachi said. "I didn't get a good look at their faces." Law nodded.

"Where were you hit?"

"My head. I also went flying into the side of a building- hit my ribs hard." Shachi winced at the memory. Law nodded.

"I'll leave that to Crowe. Daros, go over and help Alice." Law ordered. Daros walked over to Alice.

"What's wrong Alice?" He asked kindly, if a bit mockingly. Alice groaned.

"C-chest… stabbed…" She coughed. The room went quiet. "Hurts…" She coughed again, more blood coming up. Law turned around.

"Your chest?" He asked darkly. "Where in your chest?" His glare was intense and made Alice shiver.

"H-heart… Lung…" She gasped. Law turned over to her, jumping the cot between them.

"Daros," He ordered harshly. "Look after Shachi." Daros scrambled away, and Law took the fabric of Alice's shirt in his hand. Alice whimpered, and Law pulled it apart, ripping the buttons off the shirt in his haste.

Leaning over her, Law could see where the knife had gone in- it hadn't been a large knife, but the cut was deep. It was in a bad place too- right over her heart, to the side of her sternum and between her ribs. The person had obviously known what they had been doing. Law frowned- had Joker caught up to them already?

Alice had flushed red and her heart was beating erratically. Law frowned.

"Alice calm down. Your heart is beating too fast." He said. Alice looked up at him, tears pricking the backs of her eyes. She whimpered, grimaced, and took a deep breath. She tried to calm her beating heart for Law.

Law gently fingered the wound, seeing what he had to work with. Alice cried out in pain, her arms spasming by her sides. Law grimaced. Grabbing a syringe, he filled it with morphine. Bringing it to Alice's arm, Alice cried out. Law looked up at her.

Alice had stopped looking at him. She had cast her face downwards, not daring to look up at Law. Her shoulders shook with fear, and her sobs hitched in her chest. She wasn't responding to him at all, wasn't even looking at him. Law's frown deepened, and his crew stared at him. He knew that look- it meant, _do something. Now. _

"Get out of here." He ordered, and his crew limped/scurried from the room. Swinging Alice up into his arms (with a squeal from Alice), he gently deposited her into a medical chair a few feet away from the center of the room. Alice whimpered, and Law rolled his eyes. Taking the needle in his hands again, he jabbed it into Alice's arm with more force than necessary. Alice screamed, clawing at the needle, her breathing getting faster and faster as her pupils dilated.

Law snatched her hand away from the syringe, and pressed down on the plunger. Alice moaned as he did this, as though it was molten lead being shot into her veins, not morphine. Taking the needle away, he wrapped the puncture with gauze and a cotton ball. Alice's hand now hung limply at her side, and her eyes were dull and glassy. _Maybe I gave her a bit too much…_ Law thought in passing as her grabbed the hem of her shirt.

Pulling her out of what remained of her shirt, he propped her up in the chair and sidled up next to her. Taking a pair of tweezers out of a small rolling cabinet near him, he pulled the pieces of skin apart, looking for shrapnel or glass in the wound. Alice's heartbeat remained steady, her eyes still glazed over.

After removing the pieces of glass from the wound, he pushed her back against the chair. He left her side to go hunt for some disinfectant, which he found after searching in varying cabinets and drawers. Returning to Alice's chair, he was mildly surprised when he noticed tears running down her left cheek.

Law felt uncomfortable, which was unusual for him. Nevertheless, he was a doctor, and so it was his job to put his patient at ease. He reached for more morphine.

Placing the needle to her arm again, he was about to push it through when he noticed Alice staring at the needle with absolute terror. Her pupils had dilated until her iris looked completely black, and her forehead shone with sweat. Very carefully, he moved the needle away and placed it gently on a side table. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled Alice into his lap and stroked her arm from shoulder to elbow. Pressing her back into his chest, he could feel the silent sobs that wracked her body. He tried to sooth her, whispering to her and securing her firmly against him.

"Shhh…Miss Alice, it's alright, you're alright. Shhh, can you feel how I'm breathing like this? I want you to breathe as I do. It's okay, you're okay. Do you know where you are? You are in my ship, in my infirmary, and nothing can hurt you here. Nobody can hurt you here Alice, so calm down and come back to me. It's okay, it's okay…. Shhh….."

….

Alice was lost. She felt empty, like a plastic bag that was drifting on the wind. She was falling, spinning, and floating in her mind. Drifting. Her whole world had narrowed down to two tiny pinpricks of light, twin holes in the blackness. Peering through one was terrible though- out there was where the fear was, where the bad things happened. The hurt and the pain and the fear.

Alice would rather stay in here. It was nice in here. It was quiet and safe and nobody could touch her. It was comfortably numb.

But suddenly, she heard something. It was a voice, high and sweet, singing a song she couldn't recognize. The melody was something like a lullaby, rocking her gently back and forth. It was a kind voice, like a sister or a sibling. It enveloped her like a soft white blanket in her numb world of black. It was like a sheet that as fell down around her to gently enfold her in light.

Through the light she heard someone. Their voice was deep and rich, a beautiful sound. It spoke to her, gently coaxing her to the surface of her dream.

"….lice. Alice. Wake up Alice, it's okay, you're safe here. You're here with me, safe, so wake up. Wake up Alice. Alice. Alice, wake up…"

Alice's eye popped open, her mouth bursting open in a gasp. She turned her head upwards, looking into Law's blank gunmetal grey eyes. Silence reigned for a few moments before she cast her eyes downwards, hands going up to the arm wrapped securely around her shoulders. She was sitting up in his lap, her short legs dangling over his knees.

"Alice." Law whispered, his smooth baritone voice startling Alice as it slid into her ear. He squeezed her midsection with his right arm as he spoke, the pressure gentle and reassuring.

"I do not know why you just did that…" He started. Alice flinched, gripping his arm tighter.

"But I do not like it." Alice's eyes opened, her blue orbs swirling with uncertainty. "I don't like that you are so petrified of me when, by my standards, no harm has come to you under my watch." His words shocked Alice. She turned around to look at him in his lap.

"It isn't you Law." She whispered, one hand still lingering on his wrist. "I… I'm…" She pressed her forehead into the right side of his neck.

"I can't…" She whispered weakly, the tears coming back. Law brought his arm back up around her waist, stroking the small of her back.

"Alice." He said seriously. "I do not know what happened to you in your past, but…"

"Put trust in your captain." Alice's eyes widened. He said it. He called himself her captain. Slowly, tears began to fall from her eyes, her breath hitched, and she began crying again. But this time, the tears were not of fear- these were tears that needed to be shed.

As she cried, Law finished cleaning the wound and stitched it closed, being gentle with the needle and thread. Alice felt no pain at all, just warmth from where her wound was. She shivered from the warmth, like a small fire was slowly making its way through her veins, warming her blood and massaging her body. The sensation was like gentle hands rubbing her, warming the body of a corpse and breathing life back into her.

Law finished the final stitch, tying the thread and cutting it off. He looked down at Alice's exhausted face, her chest rising and falling with deep breaths. Sighing, he bundled her up in her torn shirt and lifted her into his arms. Using his foot to strategically maneuver the door open, he walked down to her room and placed her in her bed, pulling the covers up to her chin after removing her shirt and replacing it with her dark blue one.

He left the room, already getting annoyed that he still had to see to the injuries of the rest of his crew.

Luffy was excited- really, really excited. They had just left Drum Island, and were headed out for the next one. Luffy grinned- what exciting adventure was waiting for them now? He swung his feet over the deck from his seat on the railing. He couldn't wait!

Looking over to his right, past Zoro and Usopp who were drinking, he saw the newspaper that had alerted them to the uprising in Vira. Luffy frowned. Vivi was enjoying herself tonight, he didn't want her to see that and get sad. Standing up, he walked over to the newspaper and flung it out into the ocean.

"Luffy!" Nami screeched, seeing him toss the newspaper over the side of the ship, "Why did you do that?! Newspapers cost money!" She grabbed him and put him in a headlock, choking Luffy as he garbled for mercy.

Looking down at her feet, Nami saw a piece of paper that was stuck under her shoe. "Nani?" she said, releasing Luffy to bend down and pick it up. It was a page of the newspaper.

"What is this…" She said, reading it. By now, everyone had heard the commotion and was watching Nami. Nami suddenly gasped, her eyes widening into rings as she held out the paper in front of her.

"Oh my god!" She screeched. Everyone flew over to her to look at the poster.

"What is it?" Usopp asked, reading the poster quickly. His eyes widened too and he screamed.

"Nada? What's your deal?" Zoro said gruffly, already having read the poster.

"Nami, what're you looking at?" Luffy asked. Nami thrust the paper out to him, her eyes wide.

"Luffy, read this!" She screeched. Luffy looked at the paper, reading it for a moment. His eyes went huge, eyeballs almost bursting out of their sockets.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" He screamed, shocking his crew to the end of the earth.

Ace looked up, chuckling. There was a party tonight on the ship, since they had just docked at a new island Ah, what was he saying, they used any excuse they could to have a party here! He grabbed his mug and took another swig at it, laughing at his brother's antics. It was good being second division leader.

"Hey Ace! Catch!" Thatch tossed his a newspaper. Ace shouted back "Thanks!" with a grin- he hated buying his own newspapers, but he enjoyed reading them.

He flipped through it, reading more scandal about pirates and Marines, laughing when he saw that one of Pop's allies had attacked a Marine base and claimed the island as Whitebeard territory in the New World. Flipping to the bounties, he scoffed when he saw that Marco's had been raised and his hadn't. Stupid pineapple pigeon.

Turning the page, he came upon a different kind of report. It was a whole two pages wide, one piece of paper in the center of the newspaper. His eyes widened at the title of the page, skipping the content to the picture of the woman in the wanted poster.

He screamed, in shock, agony, and delight, seeing the face.

His brothers ran over to him to see what the matter was, but they couldn't get him to talk, as the man was too busy crying while gripping the page from the newspaper, hunching over the balcony and repeating the name of a girl.

"Ahahahahaaah! I can't believe it! I can't believe it!"

"What's wrong, Sabo?"

"Wrong? Nothing's wrong sir! In fact, this is great! Look here!" The blond man spread the wide paper on the desk, leaning over the front to point at the picture.

"That's my little sister there sir! Check out her bounty- first time too!"

"That's impressive. 80,000,000 beri for her first bounty?"

"Yeah! And read the article!"

"New pirate "Ten no Tenshi" Tenshi D. Alice is a member of the Heart Pirates under Captain Trafalgar Law (200,000,000 beri), and is considered a direct threat to the World Gov. If sighted, do not approach. 80,000,000 beri for her wounded, but…"

"…Sir?"

"Sabo, is she really wanted by the World Government, _alive_, for that much money?"

"Yes sir. She's more than she appears to be. Actually, I doubt they would pay anyone 80 million for her dead body. They want her alive."

"That's some sister you've got Sabo."

"I know sir." Sabo grinned wildly.

The paper had a picture of a girl with black hair on it. She was sitting on a couch, wearing a thin white dress. Her expression was blank, tinged with sadness, her body propped up against pillows. She looked like a doll.

The only things that made her look like a pirate were the shimmering wings on her back, arced towards the sky, and the fiery, determined look in her dark blue eyes.

_This marks the end of the __newfound__peace…_

_And the entry into chaos and turmoil…_

_The martyr, the victim, the brothers, the savoir, the companions and the prophet,_

_The angel's song shall be heard, the angel's scream shall be remembered, the angel's fight shall be fought, the angel's life shall be lost. _

_The warning has been told. _

_Dawn is here, the end of the old._

**If you do not review, I shall send Law after you. **

**Law: Why me...?**

**Me: Cause you're scary, that's why! Review, and Jaa ne! ^_^**


End file.
